


Wanna Watch A Movie With Me?

by daneicole



Series: LWA Headcanons [4]
Category: Little Witch Academia
Genre: Constanze talks more often at this point, F/F, Slight mentions of Charoix and Diakko
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-18
Updated: 2019-07-04
Packaged: 2020-05-14 01:24:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 35,227
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19263157
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daneicole/pseuds/daneicole
Summary: Amanda invites Hannah to a movie night for "literary purposes". What follows next is probably the stuff cheesy and corny romance movies are made of.





	1. An Invitation

It was the day of the movie treat. Since Amanda lost the bet on who confessed first, it was up to her team to fund the tickets and the treats. Amanda had pored over the calculations the night before and came up with a budget. Luckily for their team, the budget didn't chip off a huge amount of all their allowances combined. Amanda and her team had decided to head off early to snag discounts and to pick the best yet affordable snacks.

  
"I have to apologize," Amanda told her teammates.

  
"What for?" Constanze asked.

  
"We lost the bet. Now we have to spend a lot of cash."

  
Constanze snorted. "Look, that's how bets go. We win some, we lose some. We'll get to win another day."

  
"They're here," Jasminka told the two.

  
Amanda and her team met the others halfway. "Took your damn time huh?" she said.

  
"Akko had a bit of trouble on her broom," Sucy said. "So, O'Neill, ready to break your bank?"

  
"We have a budget, Sucy, and we're going to follow that," Amanda said pointedly. "Alright, Akko, go pick the movie. I'll be off to buy snacks."

  
Hannah stepped forward. "Wait, I'm coming with you," she said. "I'll help with the food."

  
Amanda blinked. "Okay, thanks."

  
At the counter, the two girls then deliberated on what to buy.

  
"Jasminka's gonna go with anything, and Constanze very much prefers something sweet," Amanda said. "I guess I'll both buy them caramel popcorn, and a large white cheddar for me. How about you guys?"

  
"Barbara would go for something light, so I guess the potato balls would do," Hannah told her. "Diana requested for nachos, large. She wants to share with Akko. For Sucy and Lotte, they told me they'd like to share a large buttered popcorn. I'm going for a burger."

  
"Sure you don't want to go all out? We're treating you, after all."

  
"I prefer not to eat the whole time we're watching, the burger will do. How about the drinks?"

  
"We'll all have lemon lime soda, unless you want something else."

  
"I'd like to have juice instead."

  
The two returned to the group with the snacks. Constanze joined them with the tickets in hand and they all went inside the theater.

  
Akko and Diana ended up sitting together, as expected. The rest of them were with their own teammates. Amanda and Sucy were both inclined to tease them, but Lotte and Jasminka reeled them in and told them to stay put.

  
The movie was about an explorer who travels the world in search of hidden treasure, and traveling with her is a Toxicologist with a penchant for poisoning people, her best friend who works as a navigator (and owned lengthy volumes of cliché romance stories), and her eventual love interest, a scholar of ancient cultures. The movie focused on a treasure believed to restore the flow of magic in the world, and the other party contending for the treasure is led by a devout practitioner of the dark arts who sought to use the treasure for his own gain.

  
Akko and Diana greatly enjoyed the movie as it rolled, with the former feeling as if she was a kid watching Indiana Jones and the latter feeling refreshed because she had never been to the theater in quite a long while.

  
Amanda let out a huff as she watched. "This is pretty cheesy for an adventure movie," she muttered.

  
Hannah caught wind of Amanda's mumbling and snickered. "You can't do anything about it since you lost the bet," she said.

  
"Akko was just too damn slow," Amanda countered. "I oughta give her a knock on the head for not moving faster."

  
"Don't be such a sore loser," Hannah said, rolling her eyes. "At the very least we don't have to deal with their useless pining anymore."

  
Amanda shrugged. "Touché. But damn, Akko could have at least picked a better movie."

  
\---

  
After the movie treat, the three teams stayed in town to spend the rest of their day-off. Akko and Diana split with the group, telling them they'll meet up at the plaza later. The girls waved them off and went on their own way through town. Sucy and Lotte took off to an apothecary at one side of the town, while Barbara decided to visit a bookstore on her own. Jasminka and Constanze headed to the shops to buy snacks and tools. This left Hannah with Amanda, who declined to join her teammates on their way to the stores.

  
"Just us two, huh," Amanda said. "You have somewhere else you need to be?"

  
Hannah fumbled with her bag strap. "Not really," she told Amanda. "Had Barbara not disappeared into a bookstore somewhere, we could have been to the bazaar."

  
Amanda grinned. "How about we walk around? Maybe talk a bit as we go?"

  
Hannah shrugged with a smile. "What else can we do?"

  
"Hey, it's like you're saying I'm bad company," Amanda said as they started walking.

  
"I'm not," Hannah countered.

  
They talked about random stuff as they walked, stopping occasionally to buy food or watch and listen to street performers. They would argue over something, but it would soon end and they would talk about another topic. Hannah would snap at Amanda with a sneer while Amanda would clap back with a mocking grin.

  
The two stopped by a toy shop after Amanda took notice of a drone for sale at the window. Inside the shop, Hannah took her time looking around as Amanda inquired about the drone.

  
She looked over dolls and stuffed animals of different shapes and sizes, faintly recalling her own collection back home. When she turned to the other aisle with the rest of the stuffed animals, she caught sight of a ruffled teddy bear.

  
Hannah wasn't much of a teddy bear lover when she grew older, but at that moment, it's as if her seven-year-old self resurfaced and she felt the need to buy the bear. She checked the price, found it to be beyond her allotted money for the day, and sighed defeatedly.

  
"That's a cute-lookin' bear," Amanda said behind her.

  
Hannah almost yelped in shock. "God, don't sneak up on me like that!" she snapped.

  
"I got the drone," Amanda said, holding up the bag that held the toy. "Turns out it was the last one in stock and I managed to haggle it for a reasonably lower price. Shopkeeper's a real nice guy, too."

  
"You certainly know your way around shopping," Hannah commented as they left the shop.

  
_The bear will have to wait_ , Hannah thought.

  
"Well, I have to maximize my funds, otherwise I'd be broke," Amanda shrugged. "In your case, you wouldn't have to deal with that sort of thing since you're well-compensated. You can buy anything you want."

  
"Not all the time," Hannah countered. "I have my financial issues, as well, just so you know."

  
"I find that hard to believe, sweetheart."

  
Hannah felt heat rush to her cheeks. "Come on, stop calling me that. I'm not one of your gaggle of girls."

  
Amanda chuckled. "Not this again," she said. "I can't help it if other girls find me charming."

  
"Charming, huh? I don't dig it."

  
"Well, you're too hung up on those Appleton boys. Can't blame you, though. You're straight as an arrow, it's not much of a surprise."

  
"I am not!"

  
"What, you're not straight?"

  
"No, I mean, I am not hung up on the guys from Appleton," Hannah fumed. "And I don't have time for things like that, anyway. I have more important matters to attend to."

  
"Says the girl who squealed her lungs out when Hanbridge dropped by Luna Nova with his boys."

  
Hannah blushed. "Look, I won't deny that, but now, I've come to realize that I have to set my sights on the more important things--like school, for example."

  
"Fine, fine, don't get yourself too worked-up about it." Amanda scratched her nape. "Geez, England, you have such a temper."

  
\---

  
The two walked on and took a break at a café. There was a tense silence between the two, which greatly bothered Hannah.

  
_As if being left with her isn't already a big bother_ , she thought to herself.

  
Still, Hannah didn't expect to spend the rest of her day-off with Amanda, and it was a notion she fully appreciated. Hannah felt the urge to tell Barbara about it once they've returned to Luna Nova, but she remembered that no one else knew of her feelings towards the Texan. This put Hannah at an impasse, and there was nothing she could do about it at the moment.

  
Meanwhile, Amanda had been quietly observing Hannah. In her first brushes with the girl, Amanda had known Hannah to be extremely callous with interacting with her. Even as Akko and Diana's close friendship somewhat united their teams, Hannah retained her snarky attitude towards Amanda, albeit toned-down. It was perhaps to give themselves a chance of getting along. Amanda wouldn't deny that it was a favorable development. She enjoyed her banter with Hannah, and never a day goes by without the two of them either ganging up on Akko or having their own petty arguments themselves.

  
As she looked over at Hannah, she realized that Hannah had a certain appeal that was often overshadowed by either Diana or Barbara. It was only at that moment did Amanda see how much of a looker Hannah is, with the soft waves of auburn hair cascading over her shoulders, tied daintily at the back with the yellow ribbon she's always seen with, and the light make-up that looked as if she never wore any at all. Amanda felt like she was drawn in to Hannah, what with her olive-green eyes that seemed to look at her with a peculiar gentleness that dissipated as soon as it had arrived.

  
Amanda's thoughts were interrupted when a waiter brought their orders. Silence still took over them as they dined. Amanda turned to the street outside, while Hannah took out a novel and read quietly. Amanda noticed the title of the book— _Gone With the Wind_.

  
"Have you seen the movie?" Amanda asked Hannah.

  
"What movie?" Hannah asked back, putting a bookmark on the page she was on.

  
" _Gone With the Wind_. It was adapted into a movie in the 30s. I think there's a remastered version on it on the internet."

"I have heard of it, but I haven't watched it yet. Is it as good as the book?"

  
"Well, I can't say for sure. I've only seen bits and pieces of it from my grandmother's house when I was younger."

  
"I see."

  
Amanda leaned on the table. "Wanna watch it sometime? I can have Constanze download it."

  
Hannah was taken aback for a moment. "With the others? I don't think they'll like it."

  
"Well, we can watch it even if it's just the two of us."

  
Both girls were cut short by Amanda's sudden invitation.

  
Amanda was stumped. _Shit, it sounded like I'm asking her out for Netflix and chill._

  
Hannah blinked in utter disbelief. _Did she just say we can watch it even if it's just the two of us?_

  
Amanda was the first to break the tension. "W-well, I mean, we can watch it since we're the only ones who have a bit of familiarity with it."

  
"N-no...it's..." Hannah said, her voice slightly shaking. "I don't think it's gonna be a problem if it's just us two. After all, we're just watching a movie and comparing it to the novel."

  
"So, what then? Should I ask Constanze to go get the movie for us?"

  
"Yeah. Where should we watch it?"

  
"My laptop back in our room Is it alright with you?"

  
“It's fine enough. I'll tell the girls about it."

  
"Wouldn't they be against it?"

  
"No, they won't."

  
Amanda chuckled. "You sound really eager about this."

  
"I'm curious about the movie," Hannah said defensively, glaring at Amanda. "Tomorrow night?"

  
Amanda waved her off. "Alright, alright. Geez..."

  
\---

  
The three teams returned to Luna Nova in the late afternoon. Akko and Diana went off somewhere in the school yard to spend a bit more time together like the new lovers they are. Amanda and Sucy could only smirk at how sickeningly fluffy the two are.

  
Later at the Green Team's room, the trio were each minding their own businesses. Jasminka was whistling a tune as she re-stocked their snack stash, Constanze pored over the instruction manual of a powertool she had just purchased, and Amanda played with the drone. Putting the drone down, Amanda sprawled out on the floor and gazed at the ceiling.

"I invited Hannah England to watch an old movie with me here in our room," she said.

  
"Hannah England?" Jasminka confirmed.

  
"That's unexpected," Constanze said. "What brought this on?"

  
Amanda sat up and resumed playing. "She was reading _Gone With the Wind_ ," she explained. "I asked her if she had seen the movie, she said no, and that's when I invited her."

  
"What did she say?" Jasminka asked, her smile akin to a mother curious about her child's new friend.

  
"She was fine with it," Amanda answered.

  
Jasminka and Constanze looked at each other. Unknown to Amanda, they had an inkling of Hannah's interest towards the redhead after Akko casually told them about the small incident with Amanda's photograph. Since then, Jasminka and Constanze silently watched over the two, waiting for any developments.

  
The two have surmised that Amanda's invitation might be the development they have been waiting for. With that, they each decided to lend a helping hand, albeit secretly.

  
"Hey Constanze, would you mind downloading the movie for us?" Amanda asked in earnest.

  
"No problem," Constanze answered. "When are you going to watch it, by the way?"

  
"Tomorrow night," Amanda told her. "You're welcome to watch with us if you want."

  
"I'm set to have a night-long study session with Lotte at that time, so I'm afraid I'll have to pass," Jasminka said. "What about you, Constanze? Would you like to join?"

  
Constanze got the hint. "I'm pulling an all-nighter at the workshop. Looks like you're gonna have to do this solo."

  
Amanda shrugged. "I see. No biggie, then. Just don't overwork yourself, Cons."

  
Constanze smirked. "Sure, sure, I'll keep that in mind. I'll give you the movie tomorrow."

  
"Thanks."

  
Amanda noticed how Jasminka and Constanze gave her seemingly knowing looks.

  
"What's with that look on your faces?" Amanda asked.

  
"Whatever do you mean?" Jasminka asked back.

  
"It's like..." Amanda frowned. "Alright, I know what you're thinking."

  
"Amanda, we aren't thinking anything," Constanze said.

  
"No, don't try to hide it. I'm not gonna do anything to Hannah, just so you know."

  
"We didn't say anything of the sort," Constanze countered.

  
"Right, you didn't say it, but you've thought of it."

  
"Well then, let's say we both thought of it. Why is it bothering you so much?"

  
"It's the look on your faces. It's like you're thinking I'm gonna prey on Hannah or something."

  
Constanze shrugged. "That is one of your skills, after all."

  
"Constanze, how harsh of you," Jasminka said, sarcasm lightly tainting her statement.

  
"I'm not gonna do anything to Hannah, okay? You can stop teasing me about it now."

  
"Look, O'Neill, you've swept a dozen girls off their feet on our first week here, and a dozen more up until recently," Constanze said. " _Verdammt_ , you've earned yourself a reputation. You can't blame us for thinking that way."

  
"And one more thing," Constanze continued. "This is Hannah England we're talking about. You'd know better than to toy with her, what with her being a good friend of Diana's."

  
"Nothing's gonna happen to me or Hannah. Hell, I don't give a damn."

  
Despite saying so, Amanda couldn't ignore the strange feeling that had begun to settle in her at the thought of having Hannah over the next night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here's the sequel! Heh.
> 
> It turns out that I'm way more invested in the Hamanda ship compared to Diakko (thanks, Chamber of Time), hence I've spewed out a more lengthy fic than "At A Witches' Retreat". This kinda overlaps with the epilogue from the aforementioned fic, so I think it might be best if you take time to at least skim through it for context.
> 
> Anyways, I'd like to say that this fic is more of an experimental thingy for me since I've never written something cohesive that's more than six chapters. Any feedback is highly appreciated! I'd very much like to know your thoughts on the fic.


	2. Gone With the Wind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A movie about the tragedy of the South kicks off the wheels of fate for Amanda and Hannah.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gone With the Wind was one of the novels I attempted reading back when I was in high school, however at the time, I was too overwhelmed at how lengthy the book was and never got around to finish it.
> 
> Some good soul then uploaded the whole movie on YouTube and I got to watch it just so I could have some material to work with for this chapter.
> 
> (I might do double updates for this fic since there are a good bunch of chapters that I figured would go well if they are posted at the same date)

Amanda didn't think the day would pass by so quickly, and soon enough she found herself waving her roommates goodbye as they headed off to where they needed to be in the night. She made a quick sweep of the place, hid away the clutter, and waited.

  
It wasn't until fifteen minutes later when Amanda heard a knock on the door. It was Hannah, donning her sleepwear underneath a light robe. Her hair was down, slightly disheveled, and for some inane reason Amanda felt her breath hitch at the sight.

  
"You came prepared," Amanda said. "Come on in."

  
"Pardon the intrusion," Hannah said instinctively.

  
Hannah looked around. Any visitor would be able to point out which area is occupied by each of the team. Jasminka and Amanda share a bunk bed, while Constanze has a single. Jasminka is on the top bunk, which Hannah figured out after seeing Russian tapestry on the pillows and blankets. Amanda's bunk is hastily made, somewhat reminding her of how rowdy the redhead is. Constanze's bed is the most neat, due to being unoccupied most of the time. Hannah noticed a switch on the wall close to Constanze's bed, and she remembered that Constanze has an underground workshop that she accesses via the bed.

  
"Sorry for the clutter," Amanda said as she booted up the laptop. "I haven't had enough time to really tidy up."

  
"Don't worry too much about it," Hannah said, sitting down on Amanda's bed. "Your room looks nice, by the way."

  
"Not as nice as your room, more or less," Amanda said, looking for the movie in the folders. "Alright, let's see now...Constanze told me the movie's just right...here. Have you finished the book, by the way?"

  
"Yes, I have. I wouldn't speak anything of it, though, to avoid spoiling you."

  
Amanda then walked over to the fridge to grab some cold drinks, as well as some snacks from the food cabinet. She then sat on the floor while Hannah stayed crossed-legged on Amanda's bed.

  
"Here's some juice," Amanda told her. "You can grab all you want in this snack box here."

  
"Thank you," Hannah said, taking the offered drink.

  
The two were quiet as they watched, except for the occasional comments from either of them.

  
"I remember learning about the old life in the South when I was in elementary school," Amanda said. "It was classy, like in the movie."

  
"Racism is rampant, too," Hannah added.

  
"Sadly, yeah," Amanda said. "The South really loved slavery and racism went along with it. Unfortunately, even if the whole thing was abolished, the racism is still there."

  
Amanda couldn't help but be impressed towards Rhett Butler. Hannah rolled her eyes and jeered at Amanda, saying she and Rhett are cut from the same cloth of being sweet-talkers.

  
"Say all you want, Hannah, but I'm nothing like Rhett Butler," Amanda said.

  
"The girls you've played with say otherwise," Hannah countered.

  
"This again? Okay, I'm Luna Nova's very own Casanova, I get it. And frankly, England, I don't give a damn."

  
They were silent for the rest of the movie, both captivated by the cinematography and the flow of the story. Hannah had noted that the movie may have diverted a bit from the novel, but the rest were just as she had read. In truth, Hannah felt more emotions with the movie compared to reading the book alone. Perhaps it was due to the actors and actresses portraying them, how they delivered their lines and played their roles.

  
Amanda on the other hand was caught by the movie's charm. The fall of the once prosperous South, the consequences of the Civil War, and the slow rise of the defeated Southerners from the ashes of their despair and misery hooked Amanda and showed her a different perspective of what it was like in the South during those tumultuous times. Sure, she was certain that the movie had its inaccuracies, but it was a good learning experience nonetheless.

  
When the movie was over, Amanda was quiet, awed at how such a film could be so grand. She figured that it had been a glorious film during its time, and from what she had read about it, it definitely deserved the accolades and the awards it had won.

Hannah was floored by the adaptation that it took her a moment before she could speak again.

  
"I must say...although I have read the novel, watching the movie made me feel like I'm encountering the story for the first time," Hannah said.

  
"That was one heck of a movie," Amanda added as she returned the laptop into its bag. "Hell, Scarlett had it coming."

  
Hannah chuckled. "Even at the very end, she's shrewd as hell."

  
"I doubt Rhett would ever go back," Amanda said. "I know I wouldn't. Spend my money, time, and love on a woman who doesn't appreciate any of them? I'd rather look for someone else more worthy."

  
Hannah was surprised at Amanda's statement. To think that a playful girl such as her would actually find the heart to spend all that she has on another person, more so love them...it was something she hadn't considered.

  
This gave her a rather peculiar lift in the chest. For a moment, Hannah felt as if she was given an opportunity of sorts, but then she realized that Amanda might have other people in mind when she said those words. Soon after, Hannah made her leave to return to her quarters.

  
"It's already curfew," Amanda told her. "You can stay here for the night."

  
"I don't want to impose any further," Hannah said, walking to the door. "I'll make sure no one catches me."

  
"Hannah, wait—"

  
"Thank you for tonight, Amanda," Hannah said before she disappeared into the dark corridor.

  
Amanda stayed by the door for a moment, then she retreated back inside and went to sleep.

  
\---

  
Hannah ran as fast as she could back to their quarters, narrowly avoiding the roving staff as she went. She soon arrived at their room, gently closed the door behind her, and let out a sigh of relief.

  
"Must have been quite a run," a voice called out from behind her.

  
Hannah nearly yelped, and when she turned she saw Diana sitting by the coffee table, sipping tea with a book on her lap.

  
"Diana, you're still up," Hannah said shakily.

  
"You didn't leave a note," Diana said. "And you've been gone for four hours. Naturally, I'd stay up and wait for you."

  
Hannah bowed her head. "I apologize, I was at the Green Team's room. We watched an old movie, that's why it took four hours."

  
"Come, sit down. What movie?"

  
Hannah moved over to the coffee table and took a seat on one of the couches. " _Gone With the Wind._ "

  
"That novel you've been reading?"

  
"Yes, it was adapted into a movie in the late 30s. Amanda invited me to watch after she saw me reading."

  
"I didn't expect Amanda and her team to watch such an old film."

  
"N-no...only Amanda and I watched the movie."

  
Diana, who was about to take another sip from her tea, was stopped short.

  
"So it's only the two of you? How curious."

  
Hannah shrugged. "It wasn't much of an open invitation, truth be told. It was more of a spontaneous one. While you were on your own endeavors in the town, I ended up tagging along with Amanda and before we parted ways she invited me."

  
"It's strange that you accepted it, considering how you can't stand Amanda for most of the time."

  
"It's not that we can't stand each other, it's more like, we see things differently. The movie night was all for literary purposes. Amanda's curious about the movie as well. She's only seen bits and pieces of it, as she had told me."

  
Diana smirked. "How civil of you. So how was it, spending four hours in the company of a girl like Amanda O'Neill?"

  
Hannah squirmed a bit in her seat. "It was...nothing out of the ordinary. She's rather hospitable, she offered me snacks from their food stash. She even asked me to stay the night out of fear that I might get caught outdoors."

  
"She offered you to stay the night?" Diana asked, cocking an eyebrow. "What made you refuse?"

  
"I...I didn't want to stay there for too long."

  
"But what if someone caught you still out on curfew? Surely the better choice would have been to stay?"

  
"Well, I would have stayed if the odds of returning here without fuss is not in my favor. But I managed, so I guess there is nothing more to worry about."

  
Diana nodded with a smile. "Alright. We should head off to bed now, it is rather late."

  
The two girls retired to their beds, and while Diana had immediately fallen asleep, Hannah was still up. Her thoughts went to the redhead witch she had just shared a movie night with.

  
Ever since the three teams started hanging out together, Hannah—to her utter surprise—found herself enjoying Amanda's company. There was something in Amanda's character that drew her in...her carefree attitude, her spontaneity...perhaps her confidence. Hannah grew up in a rigid household, having been born into a noble family who has strictly adhered to the decorum that is placed on them. With that upbringing, Hannah felt as if she had been confined for way too long, and her admission to Luna Nova was a blessing that came just in time. However, the life she had at home still latched onto her, and it had only started letting go when she encountered the loud, brash witch that is Amanda O'Neill.

  
Hannah couldn't stand the sight of Amanda, nor any of her antics. She had thought that it was because Amanda was a slacker, a student she had thought that Luna Nova shouldn't have wasted its resources on. Then time passed, and Hannah realized that she was actually envious of Amanda. Deep within her, she wished she had whatever Amanda has.

  
In the time they began to share along with the rest of the Red, Blue, and Green teams, Hannah's resentment towards Amanda slowly turned into admiration, and in a surprising turn of events, it bloomed into a hopeless crush. It was even more heightened when she saw Amanda's photo in Akko's person. No one can deny that Amanda is ranked as one of the best-looking students in Luna Nova—piercing emerald eyes and a smile that could leave any girl swooning, plus a supple figure to die for. However, Amanda's reputation of fooling around with other girls in the campus brought down a huge weight on Hannah's heart.

  
Hannah decided right there and then to keep her distance from the redhead, but without alienating herself altogether. A healthy distance, she tells herself time and time again.

  
This movie night threatened to shatter her resolve, and she thought it was wise of her to leave before it crumbled completely.  
Hannah eventually closed her eyes, and for a moment her worries dissipated, gone with the wind that had fleetingly graced their quarters.

  
\---

  
Amanda tossed and turned in her bed. It had been two hours since Hannah left their room, and she can't help but think if the auburn-haired girl made it to her quarters without getting caught.

  
"Hell, why am I even bothering myself with her?" Amanda muttered.

  
Constanze's bed shifted, and the mattress gave way to the ascending girl. Amanda sat up and greeted her.

  
"Out for a break?" Amanda said.

  
Constanze nodded and went to the fridge to fetch a can of cold coffee. "Movie night's over?"

  
"Yeah, two hours ago."

  
Constanze pondered for a bit. "Wait, it's curfew. You didn't let her stay here?"

  
"I insisted, she refused," Amanda shrugged. "She ran off before I can say anything else."

  
Hmm, curious, Constanze thought. "Tch. Pray that she wasn't caught by Finneran or the rest of the roving staff."

  
"I can't get myself to sleep thinking about it,” Amanda groaned. “If she gets in trouble it'll be my fault."

  
Constanze paused. _This is interesting_. "We'll find out about it tomorrow, Amanda," she then said. "For now, it's best that you grab as much sleep while you can."

  
"I could say the same to you, Cons. What are you even working on at this time of the night anyway?"

  
"Refurbishings for the next Hunt. A lot of them."

  
Constanze descended to her workshop after that, and Amanda was alone again with her thoughts.

  
"Tomorrow it is," she mumbled.


	3. What Came After

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The rest of the gang finds out about the movie night, Akko asks questions, and Amanda starts to notice some odd feelings.

It was another typical morning at Luna Nova's dining hall, except for the now rowdy set-up of the Red, Blue, and Green teams. Hannah and Barbara had arrived ahead of Diana, while Sucy and Lotte informed them that Akko and Diana had to stop by the faculty. Amanda threw quick glances at Hannah's way as she joked around, hoping Hannah would at least confirm if she had returned to her room without any trouble.  
Jasminka silently watched her teammate, then she nudged Constanze. This prompted her to establish a telepathic link.

  
_Did Amanda say anything about last night?_  Jasminka asked, eating a spoonful of mashed potatoes.

  
_Nothing bombastic, save for her offering Hannah to stay the night since it was already curfew when they finished watching the movie_ , Constanze replied as she observed Amanda and Hannah.

  
_My my, and did Hannah stay over?_

  
_She didn't. She insisted otherwise and ran back off to her room._

  
_Oh dear, that is rather unfortunate._

  
_We'll have better ones next time, I guess. I think it's best if we go with the flow for now._

  
_I agree. We'll interfere when it starts to drag for too long._

  
_Like what we did for Akko and Diana, eh?_

  
_Something like that, I guess, but not as pompous as Amanda had made it to be._

  
With that, the telepathic link was cut. Akko and Diana arrived later on and the cheery talk at the table was heightened at Akko's presence. Amanda looked over to Hannah, who was laughing at one of Akko's jokes.

  
_Fangs. She's got fangs._

  
And it so happened that Hannah turned to Amanda. Seeing the concern on Amanda's eyes, Hannah lightly shook her head with a smile. This gave Amanda the answer she had been waiting for since last night.

  
It greatly relieved Amanda that Hannah didn't get into trouble, and at the same time her concern for Hannah perplexed her. Amanda dismissed her thoughts and proceeded to one-up Akko on her tales, like she usually does. Like clockwork, Hannah would join in, and Amanda found herself enjoying this interaction.

  
"Geez, you two really love putting me down," Akko whined. "Amanda was bad enough as she is, and now Hannah joins in and it's a bigger pain in the neck. It's like you're made for each other when it comes to teasing me.”

  
Amanda and Hannah were taken aback at Akko's words. They shared a glance, and both of them let out an awkward chuckle. Amanda then flashed her cocky smile at Hannah.

  
“It's an automatic thing, right Hannah?” Amanda said, nudging Hannah who merely shrugged in response.

  
“At my expense,” Akko pouted.

  
"You're just a weaker opponent, Akko, don't fret too much about that," Diana told her.

  
Akko clutched at her chest in shock. "Diana! How could you?"

  
Laughter was heard from the rest of the girls, and Akko could only pout in frustration.

  
\---

  
Amanda twiddled with her pen as she idly listened to the lecture. Two seats in front of her was Hannah, who was taking notes.   
Both girls were still pondering on last night and what else would have happened had they changed a move or two. While Amanda only pondered on one or two things, Hannah had been overthinking. It was a wonder she still had the capacity to take notes when her head's mulled with thoughts. It came in short bursts, whenever Hannah thinks she had finally freed herself from them, a new one rushes in like a train.

  
The bell rang and Hannah could only sigh in great relief. Barbara, taking notice, tapped her on the shoulder.

  
"You look like you've been holding in something for so long," Barbara said. "Was the lecture too much for you?"

  
Hannah shook her head. "N-no, it wasn't. I just have a lot on my mind, that's all."

  
"Why don't you take a rest for a bit, Hannah? We have two hours until the next class, you can use that for a nap," Diana suggested.

  
Hannah nodded. "I might just do that, thank you," she said. "I'll go on ahead, I'll see you in the next class."

  
Diana and Barbara watched as Hannah left the room.

  
"I wonder what's eating at her?" Barbara mused. "She wasn't herself this morning."

  
"I haven't the slightest idea," Diana said. "But I think it would be best if we let her be for now."

  
\---

  
Amanda tossed and caught a coin as she sat at the topmost floor of the tower. There she was joined by Akko, who had just finished a lesson from Nelson.

  
"Yo," Akko greeted.

  
"Yo," Amanda greeted back. "Lessons over?"

  
Akko landed gracefully beside Amanda. "For now, yeah. Professor Nelson just took thirty minutes from the two-hour break instead of using all of that time for the lessons. Told me I needed to slack a bit."

  
"I see. It's great that you're flying well now," Amanda said.

  
Akko chuckled. "I thought so, too. But I still can't stay in the air for longer periods of time. I need to lengthen the timeframe even more."

  
"No need to rush yourself, there, Akko. These things take a bit more time to accomplish."

  
"I know, but I'm not a patient person."

  
"Then be one, for chrissakes. Look, Akko, I didn't learn and master the broom that quick. I had some slumps."

  
"I just want to get this over with and fly properly."

  
Amanda chuckled. "You'll get there soon before you know it."

  
Akko smirked. "Hopefully. By the way, what brings you here? I thought you're with Jasna and Cons?"

  
"I needed some time to think by myself."

  
"Oh, I didn't mean to intrude."

  
"Ah, no. I appreciate the company."

  
"A shilling for your thoughts?"

  
Amanda smirked. "A shilling, huh?" She stretched a bit. "I invited Hannah over last night to watch an old movie."

  
"Oh? I thought you couldn't stand each other?"

  
"Hey, it's not that we couldn't stand each other. We just tend to see things differently."

  
"What did you guys watch?"

  
"A really old movie-- _Gone With the Wind_. Constanze downloaded it for me."

  
"Ahh, I see. Didn't peg you guys to have a preference for stuff like that."

  
"I invited her out of the blue."

  
"Eh? That's interesting. So how was it?"

  
"How was what?"

  
"Watching the movie with Hannah,  ** _bakā_**. Don't tell me you just argued the whole time?"

  
"No, we didn't. We just watched, and Hannah compared it to the novel where the movie's adapted from."

  
"I see. That's rather curious, though."

  
"What makes you think so?"

  
"I don't know, man, it's just...it's really strange of you to have Hannah over. You've barely gotten really close with each other and now you're telling me you had a movie night with her."

  
Amanda reasoned that she did it for friendship's sake. After all, she and Hannah weren't on the best of terms up until the three teams started hanging out together. Akko settled herself with that answer and decided to leave it at that. She saw no other point to ask further. The two eventually talked about school, cartoons, and how having a girlfriend was going for Akko, which Akko dodgingly answered. Amanda prodded her, to no avail.

  
"Look, Amanda, if you really want to know what it's like, go get yourself your own girlfriend. You've got like, a lot to pick from," Akko jeered.

  
"Hah! No one can ever snag me, and I want it to stay that way."

  
"You'll find your match, O'Neill. I'm betting on it. And when you do, you'll never be able to get away from it."

  
Amanda smirked. "Sheesh, look at you, sputtering shit like that. All that after you got yourself a girlfriend."

  
"It's true! I don't think I'll ever get away from Diana, and I like it that way."

  
"Cringey flex, but okay."


	4. Another Invitation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A song played on the roof gives way to another invitation.

Hannah and Barbara were at the library that afternoon to further study on their notes from the lectures of the day. As they took a break, Amanda walked over to their table.

  
"What brings you here?" Barbara asked. "You don't look like you're going to hit the books."

  
"I come with an invitation," Amanda said. "We're gonna have a sleepover at Akko's tonight, wanna join us?"

  
Hannah cleared her throat. "I'm afraid I have something to do at that time. How about you, Barbara?"

  
Barbara shook her head. "I'm free tonight," Barbara said. "But Hannah, surely you can catch-up?"

  
"I'm afraid not," Hannah told her. "But do have fun, I'll be alright."

  
"Sure you really can't make it?" Amanda asked.

  
Hannah shook her head. "Some other time perhaps, Amanda."

  
"Okay, if you insist. Pass the invitation to Diana, will you?"

  
"We will," Hannah said.

  
Amanda left the two afterwards. Hannah's gaze stayed at the door Amanda walked out of, and part of her was mulling if it was right to refuse.

  
"Hello, Earth to Hannah."

  
Hannah blinked as if coming out of a trance. Barbara had been waving her hand in front of her.

  
"What's with you today? You seem out of sorts." Barbara asked.

  
Hannah shook her head dismissively. "Nothing to worry about, really. So, where were we?"

  
Barbara then proceeded to talk about the Nightfall forum she had logged on to.

  
\---

  
That night at the sleep over, while playing UNO, Amanda had suddenly sneezed. Jasminka asked if she was feeling ill, to which Amanda shook her head.

  
"I'm fine, it's just...sudden," Amanda told her.

  
"Someone must be thinking about you," Akko said, putting down a red "1" card. "One of your girls, perhaps."

  
A red +2. "Cut it out," Amanda said.

  
A blue +2. "Probably Hannah," Constanze added with a smirk.

  
"First of all, _putangina ninyo_ ," Sucy growled, having no cards in hand to counter the +2 onslaught. "Second, what does Hannah have to do with Amanda's sneezing?"

  
Barbara peeked over from Lotte's bunk. "Yeah, what's Hannah got to do with that?"

  
A blue "4" from Akko. "Amanda invited Hannah over to our room the other night," Constanze said.

  
"Oh really? Strange, she didn't say anything about that," Barbara said.

  
A yellow "4". "You and your big mouth, Constanze," Amanda seethed.

  
A yellow "5". "And Amanda here kept worrying if Hannah returned to their quarters without being caught," Constanze said. "Uno, miststück."

  
A yellow reverse. "This is interesting," Sucy said. "So how was Netflix and chill, Amanda?"

  
A yellow "7". Constanze is now out of the game. "We just watched an old movie, Sucy," Amanda said. "Get your fucking head out of the gutter."

  
A green "7" from Amanda. "Would you do it again, though? Ask her out for another movie night?" Sucy asked.

  
A green "6". "Uno. Yeah, Amanda, would you?" Akko chimed in.

  
Another +4. "Uno. You can't take me down easily," Sucy snarled. "So, Amanda, whatcha think?"

  
"Alright, first off, screw you, Sucy," Amanda said, drawing out four cards. "Second, I don't know if that's gonna be a thing. It just happened that we haven't seen much of the movie and she was curious about it because she only read the book. Third, why are we talking about this?"

  
"Well, there's nothing much going on since Diana and Akko became a thing," Sucy said. "No offense, Diana."

  
"None taken, Sucy," Diana said with a giggle.

  
"We're all getting bored," Sucy continued. "By the way, I'm switching the color to red."

  
A red "1". "Find someone else to gossip on," Amanda said. "I'm not bugging any of you."

  
A red "2". Akko is now out of the game. "Whew. Yeah, we should just leave Amanda alone," Akko said.

  
A red "5". Sucy wins over Amanda. "Alrighty then," she said, a smug grin forming on her face.

  
Amanda sprawled on the floor in defeat. "Man, what a loss," she whined. "You guys are so damn good at this, you shouldn't be allowed to play anymore."

  
"Don't be such a sore loser, O'Neill," Constanze chided.

  
Hannah's mocking smile flashed in Amanda's mind.

_Don't be such a sore loser._

  
Strange, Amanda thought. Really strange.

  
Amanda then booted up the laptop and they all watched a movie to while away the night. The other girls would gag whenever they catch Akko and Diana focusing on something else besides the movie.

  
"I thought I told you two to behave?" Amanda growled eventually. "Damn, you're like cats in heat!"

  
"Diana, that is rather scandalous of you," Barbara said jokingly. "What would your Aunt Daryl say?"

  
"Oh, who the fuck cares about what she says?" Diana muttered. "I'm the one with the lover, not her."

  
However, Diana spoke louder than she had intended and the girls went into an uproar. Akko could only gaze at her girlfriend in shock.

  
"Diana, what the fuck?" Amanda wheezed.

  
"I wish Hannah were here with us, she'd get a kick out of this," Barbara said.

  
Amanda could only hum in agreement.

  
Later when the others were asleep, Amanda snuck out of the window and climbed to the roof. It was a practice that she had begun on her very first night in Luna Nova, and while on the roof she would conjure an instrument and play it.

  
This night, Amanda conjured a guitar, tuned it, and began plucking at its strings. As she played, she began singing.

  
_You must remember this, a kiss is still a kiss._

  
_A sigh is just a sigh;_

  
_The fundamental things apply,_

  
_As time goes by._

  
_And when two lovers woo, they still say I love you,_

  
_On that you can rely;_

  
_No matter what the future brings_

  
_As time goes by_

  
_Moonlight and love songs never out of date,_

  
_Hearts full of passion jealousy and hate,_

  
_Woman needs man, and man must have his mate,_

  
_That no one can deny._

  
_It's still the same old story, a fight for love and glory,_

  
_A case of do or die,_

  
_The world will always welcome lovers_

  
_As time goes by._

  
The song was from _Casablanca_ , another movie from her grandmother's collection. This was a movie that Amanda somewhat remembered better compared to Gone With the Wind. After hearing the song, she studied it on her father's guitar and had it ingrained in her mind ever since.

  
When the song ended, the conjured guitar was lost to the wind.

  
_Maybe we can watch that._

  
Amanda shook her head of the intrusive thought. That movie night was definitely for the sake of satisfying Hannah's curiosity, nothing more. Another invite would be totally absurd.

  
_No, it wouldn't be. Think of it as a friendly gesture. It'd be better if you could get along more_.

  
Amanda felt justified by this thought, and with that in mind she returned to the room and slept alongside her friends.

  
\---

  
Hannah was on her way to the next classroom when Amanda caught up with her.

  
"Hey, England!" Amanda called out.

  
Hannah took a solid breath in and then turned to face Amanda. "O'Neill, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

  
Amanda shoved her hands in her pockets to steady herself.

  
"Wanna watch a movie with me?"


	5. Here's to Lookin' At You, Kid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A black-and-white film is set to play for the next movie night, and Hannah discovers Amanda's nightly habits.

Hannah couldn't believe her ears. There she was, a foot away from probably the best and worst thing in her life, and she was invited to yet another movie night.

  
"What?" Hannah blurted out.

  
"Movie night," Amanda repeated. "Just like last time. You up for it?"

  
Hannah couldn't answer right away, and they were soon interrupted by the school bell. She immediately rushed inside the classroom.

  
"I'll talk to you later," Hannah called out.

  
"Oh, okay, later then," was all Amanda could say. "Just come on over."

  
Amanda rushed off to her own class soon after.

  
\---

  
Amanda and her team were walking along a corridor with Akko's team. As expected, girls would greet Amanda from all sides. Amanda greeted them back, and Constanze could have sworn she heard a multitude of sighs behind them as they passed by.

  
“Verdammt, Amanda,” Constanze snarled. “A simple ‘hi’ from you can make girls feel like you're licking their thighs.”

  
Amanda flinched. “Constanze!”

  
“ _Makalaglag-panty nga kasi_ ,” Sucy muttered with a mocking smile.

  
Lotte, who had long been familiar with some of the peculiarities of Sucy's language, jabbed at Sucy with her elbow. The Red Team then headed their own way towards the library to study (to Akko's chagrin), while the Green Team had decided to go to the courtyard. Amanda then told her teammates about the invite.

  
"Another movie night?" Constanze asked.

  
"You can join us if you want to," Amanda said.

  
"As much as I'd like to, I can't," Constanze said. "With my refurbishings, it seems my all-nighters are going to be more frequent than usual."

  
"I can join you, Amanda," Jasminka said. "What are you watching?"

  
" _Casablanca_. Constanze, can you fetch it for us?"

  
"Yeah, no problem. Tonight, huh?"

  
"Yep. If she comes over, that is."

  
Constanze raised an eyebrow. "You mean she didn't say yes?"

  
"She never got to answer because the bell rang and we both had to get to class. I hollered at her to just drop by our room if she wants to."

  
Constanze scoffed. "Oh, so tonight's either going to be a cutesy movie night with Jasminka on the sidelines or a pity party. Wow."

  
"Come on, Constanze, just get us the movie. If Hannah doesn't come over, there's more room for you to join us," Jasminka told her.

  
"I've seen that movie already," Constanze said. "My grandfather made me watch it when I was thirteen to educate me on how screwed-up Germany was back in the day."

  
Both girls looked blankly at Constanze. The petite German shrugged.

  
"My grandfather was anti-Nazi," Constanze said. "He managed to escape Nazi Germany and was part of the overseas movement."

  
Constanze then promised she'll get the movie later.

  
\---

  
Hannah fumbled with her reading. She was still mulling on whether she'd go over to the Green Team's room to watch the movie or stay put in her team's quarters and apologize the next day.

  
_Surely this time it won't be just the two of us_ , she thought.

  
Hannah had arrived to a decision, and she then resumed her reading.

  
\---

  
It was fifteen minutes to curfew, and there was still no knock on the door. Amanda felt herself sinking, which greatly surprised her. She shouldn't feel that deflated for an unaccepted invitation. With that, Amanda could only let out a sigh.

  
Jasminka, on the other hand, patiently waited at her bunk. She had begun knitting a while ago, and at that point she was close to finishing a scarf. She looked over to Amanda, who was sitting glumly on the floor playing with her drone. The laptop was on sleep mode, with the movie file now opened and waiting to be played. Jasminka took great care not to show her reaction towards the situation, so as not to make Amanda suspicious. To break the silence, Jasminka decided to make small talk.

  
"What is _Casablanca_ about, anyway?" Jasminka asked.

  
Amanda scratched her head. "Hmm, how do I put it...it's a love story of sorts."

  
"A love story, huh? You say this movie's rather old, how old is it?"

  
"It's in black and white."

  
"Ah, so it's that old."

  
There was a knock on the door, and Amanda fought to keep herself from rushing towards it. With a deep breath she opened the door and outside was Hannah, again with her sleeping robe and slightly disheveled hair. Amanda couldn't help but think that Hannah was doing it on purpose.

  
"You took your time, princess," Amanda said.

  
"I had to tell Diana I was coming over, and there was still a bit of work that I haven't finished at the time," Hannah reasoned as she stepped inside. "And don't call me 'princess', it gets on my nerves."

  
"Fine, fine," Amanda said. "Glad you could join us tonight, though."

  
Jasminka waved from her bunk, and Hannah bowed in greeting.

  
"Where is Constanze?" Hannah asked.

  
"She had to go to the underground workshop again," Jasminka told her.

  
"Oh dear, for the Hunt?"

  
Jasminka nodded. "Amanda's playing _Casablanca_ for tonight," she said. "Have you heard of it?"

  
"Vaguely," Hannah said.

  
"Then sit back and relax, the movie's starting," Amanda chimed in.

  
Like in the first movie night, Hannah opted to sit on Amanda's bed, while Amanda settled on the floor. Jasminka resumed her knitting as they began watching.

  
Hannah expected to be put off by the black-and-white film as soon as it was on the screen, but she found herself drawn to this unusual love story balanced out by the much real circumstances surrounding the characters. To Hannah, it wasn't just about a love lost and how it unexpectedly returned, it was also about the lingering fear of losing hope that so gripped the various individuals in the movie. She was very moved by the "duel of songs"--never in her life did she watch a scene that tugged hard into her heartstrings. She quickly wiped off a tear that started rolling down her face.  
Hannah noticed that Amanda was quiet as they watched. It was then Hannah saw a different Amanda, without the cocky smile and piercing green eyes that so often crossed her mind's eye. She found Amanda's stern face alluring, and for a moment she was caught by it.

  
It was only when Humphrey Bogart spoke a bit too loudly did Hannah snap out of her thoughts. Amanda then reached over to the snack box and handed Jasminka and Hannah some juice.

"Here's to lookin' at you, kid," Amanda said as she pointed the juice box at Hannah.

Hannah smiled and tapped Amanda's juice box with her own.

  
When the movie finished, Amanda immediately offered Hannah to stay the night.

  
"Stay, just for tonight," Amanda urged. "I don't want to get you in trouble. The other night was a close call."

  
Hannah felt as if all the alarms in her head sounded off all at once.

  
She cleared her throat. "Well, I..."

  
Jasminka popped up from her bunk. "Hannah, we insist."

  
"Surely you won't mind?" Hannah asked.

  
"Tut-tut, it's alright,” Jasminka countered, beckoning to Hannah. “Please, stay."

  
Hannah relented after that. Amanda grabbed an extra blanket and one of her pillows and set them on the floor.

  
"You can sleep on my bed," Amanda said. "I'll take the floor. We can't use Constanze's bed since that's where she pops out from her workshop."

  
Hannah was slightly alarmed. "Amanda, I--"

  
"Look, it's fine," Amanda assured. "You're a guest, and you may be grating sometimes but I don't want you to feel uncomfortable during your stay here."

  
Hannak chuckled. "I don't know how to feel about that," she said.

  
Amanda smirked. "You can be thankful, for starters. Now let's all get to bed and sleep well."

  
The girls settled in their places. Jasminka was asleep not long after. Her light snoring permeated the room.

  
Meanwhile, Hannah couldn't sleep. She had her face to the wall, and she tried to calm her thoughts down. A rustle of sheets interrupted her and when she turned around, Amanda had climbed out of the window. Hannah clearly alarmed, leapt out of bed. She was about to peek out the window when she heard the plucking of strings.

  
She then heard Amanda's voice from the roof. It may be a tad husky, but it sounded soft to the ears. The lyrics stunned Hannah right there and then.

  
_This song..._

  
Amanda was singing _As Time Goes By_. Hannah stood by the window, enthralled at how Amanda had translated a piano song to that of the guitar.

  
_I didn't know she could play music_ , Hannah thought.

  
But as Amanda sang, Hannah felt as if she was singing it with a sad note. Like she knew deep down that the song wasn't all that fit for her.

  
Once the song was over, Hannah was about to rush back to bed, only to be caught face to face with Amanda.

  
"Y-you heard me," Amanda muttered.

  
"I...yes, I did," Hannah said in a low voice.

  
"Don't tell anyone about this," Amanda said as she made her way in. "I'd be in really big trouble."

  
Hannah was compelled to move backwards as Amanda stepped closer.

  
"No, I won't," Hannah whispered. "My lips are sealed."

  
Amanda gazed intensely at Hannah's eyes for a moment, making Hannah squirm a bit. She then sighed and crawled into the blankets on the floor. Hannah followed suit and settled back into Amanda's bed.

  
"Sweet dreams, kid," Amanda said.

  
Hannah, who had her face to the wall again, merely smiled.


	6. A Play, A Play!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Headmistress Holbrooke acts on a whim as she requests the students to stage a play.

Holbrooke summoned the entire faculty to her office one morning. The professors wondered what the matter could be, given that such a measure was only used in times of emergency. When they arrived at the headmistress' office, they were perplexed to see her calmly sitting at her desk with a cup of tea in hand.

 

"Headmistress, may we know why you summoned us all here?" Finneran asked.

 

Holbrooke took a sip from her tea and smiled. 

 

"I want the students to have a stage play."

 

\--- 

 

Word of Holbrooke's odd request spread throughout the academy like wildfire, and the professors no longer bothered announcing it. When asked what play was to be adapted, Holbrooke decided with _Romeo and Juliet_.

 

"But Headmistress, we don't have any male students in campus to reenact such a play," Chariot had said.

 

"Then it will be like that of a  _takarazuka_  play," Holbrooke told her. "I have read about it once."

 

Holbrooke reasoned that she wanted to spice things up among the students by having them put on a play. She also said that she at least wanted to rejuvenate the liveliness of the academy, which had toned down when it reopened in 1743.

 

The professors did not express any further objections to this. 

 

This certainly excited the students, being the romantics most of them were. Amanda wasn't entirely thrilled at this, having been averse to cliché romances. Being the youngest professor, Chariot was immediately appointed to oversee the play. She gathered the student body in the auditorium to properly discuss the play. 

 

"We're now going to vote on who gets to play who. I'll list down the characters here and you'll submit to me your nominees for each of the roles," she announced. "We shall make this a quiet endeavor so as to not embarrass your classmates. Are we clear?"

 

"Yes, madam," the students responded. 

 

As soon as the last list was submitted, Chariot concluded the meeting. 

 

"I will announce the chosen students tomorrow," the professor told them. "For now, I'll have you read _Romeo and Juliet_  so that you can get the full gist of it." 

 

The students were dismissed after that. The Red, Blue, and Green Teams all gathered close to where Jennifer's tree was held and there they had their lunch. They talked about the upcoming play over meals. 

 

"Say Amanda, who did you write on your list?" Akko asked. 

 

"Why'd you wanna know?" Amanda countered. "For sure, I didn't write myself down. I don't wanna be in that damn play." 

 

Amanda had written Diana and Akko down as Romeo and Juliet respectively for the fun of it. She didn't want to spoil things and decided to keep her mouth shut about it.

 

"Who did you write then, Akko?" Amanda asked back.

 

"I won't tell," Akko said, sticking her tongue out. 

 

Amanda laid herself down on the grass. "Alright then, fuck your secrets."

 

The girls chided Amanda, as usual. 

 

"We also had these kinds of activities back in Japan," Akko shared later on. "When I was in junior high, we adapted an old Japanese play for the cultural festival."

 

"What was your role?" Diana asked. 

 

"I was one of the stage hands," Akko answered. "It sucked that I never got any of the acting parts, but I got over it eventually and had a grand time even behind the curtains. I just figured maybe my time to shine on the stage hadn't arrived yet." 

 

Akko turned to the sky. "Say,” she continued. “Whoever gets to play Romeo and Juliet must be really okay with each other. Otherwise the play wouldn't turn out right."

 

"It's a love story after all, albeit a tragic one," Lotte commented. 

 

"If one of us gets cast as either Romeo or Juliet, they'll never get to hear the end of it from me," Amanda said.

 

"But what if you ended up being cast as Romeo, or Juliet?" Akko teased. "Whatcha gonna do then?" 

 

Amanda scoffed. "That's never gonna happen." 

 

\--- 

 

The students excitedly filed into their seats at the auditorium the next day. All they talked about was who they thought was to play who until Chariot arrived and hushed them down.

 

"Once I've announced who the main cast is, I'll assign the rest of you to tasks behind the curtain," Chariot declared. "I will then give a schedule for you to follow strictly."

 

She held out a piece of paper. "There will be no changes in the main cast. They are selected according to the votes I tallied from your lists, making it unbiased. I will first announce the supporting roles." 

 

The professor cleared her throat and proceeded to announce the names. "For the role of Lord Montague, Constanze Amalie...good heavens this is such a long name." 

 

The students giggled, and Constanze merely rolled her eyes and shook her head with a smile. The other named roles were given mostly to the Red, Blue, and Green teams, largely due to their popularity, and other students got minor speaking roles as well.  Amanda snickered as each of her friends got roles, seeing that they now have to deal with the play while she gets to work on the sidelines...or not even work at all. 

 

"Now, for the roles of Romeo and Juliet," the professor continued. "The majority of the class has decided, Amanda O'Neill and Hannah England will play as the titular characters of the play. Amanda is voted to play Romeo, while Hannah takes the role of Juliet."

 

The students were in an uproar, most of which were rejoicing that their bets were won. Amanda and Hannah were frozen in their seats, while the rest of their friends were having mixed feelings about the casting. They each had voted for Hannah and Amanda as the main couple and never told anyone of it. The reveal of doing the exact same thing came as a surprise to them. 

 

"You sly dogs," Constanze said with a smile. "Who knew you'd vote for them with those roles." 

 

"I had a feeling they were suited for it," Sucy said. "I didn't think they'd actually get the parts."

 

The professor hushed them down and resumed her announcements. She assigned the rest of the students to the production, the background roles, and the effects. Akko asked if they already have a script, to which the professor said that she has one in her keeping.

  

"Now, do any of you have other questions or concerns?" Chariot asked.

 

Amanda was about to protest when the professor cut her off.

 

"Now, Miss O'Neill, surely you don't see this as an opportunity to make up for your overall academic performance," Chariot told her. "If I were you, I'd take any chance I can get to improve my grades." 

 

Amanda had no other choice and sat back down. "I understand, Professor DuNord."

 

"Miss England, you seem to have become quiet," the professor said. "Do you have anything in mind? Objections?"

 

Hannah stood up to properly answer. "I have no objections, professor." 

 

Amanda could only look on as Hannah answered stoically. Their gazes met, and Amanda could swear she saw a tinge of hesitation and doubt in Hannah's eyes. The professor left them on their own after giving the deadline, and the students divided themselves into groups to discuss the play. The main cast decided to head out of the room to talk without any distractions. Amanda noticed that Hannah was lagging behind. 

 

"Hey, it's no use slacking around," Amanda told her. "We should get going." 

 

Hannah then rushed out the door, bumping Amanda slightly on the shoulder, and hurried off after her teammates. Amanda was perplexed at how Hannah had suddenly acted. 

 

\--- 

 

Hannah is in emotional shambles. She had spent every waking hour trying to get away from Amanda in order to put her heart and mind at ease, and suddenly she's set to play alongside her as star-crossed lovers. 

 

The movie nights? Sure she could stand that. But the play? Not so much.

 

"Most of us probably find it hard to appropriate ourselves with our roles," Diana said. "None of us can pull off the male roles without so much as making them look too effeminate."

 

"Amanda can," Sucy said with a snicker.

 

"Shut it, Manvabaran," Amanda growled.

 

"And to think you once said that getting a role is not going to happen to you," Barbara chimed.

 

"Girls, please, leave Amanda alone," Diana said, her voice stern. "Listen, I have a method to propose in order to help up identify ourselves with our characters." 

 

"Shoot it," Constanze said.

 

"We each watch films or shows with semblances of our characters in it," Diana said. "We give our characters a bit more personality, and use those references to incorporate them." 

 

The girls nodded in understanding. Diana then gave tidbits to help the others in thinking about references for their respective roles. They settled on all but two roles.

 

"How about you, Amanda? What do you have in mind?" Diana asked. 

 

Amanda shrugged. "There is one movie I could use. Maybe I can get something from there."

 

Hannah had been quiet for the most part of the discussion, so Diana approached her next. 

 

"And you, Hannah?" Diana asked as well. 

 

"I only know the play from its condensed versions, so I'm afraid I might know too little of Juliet's personality," Hannah answered. 

 

"Perhaps you and Amanda can work on that together," Diana suggested. "After all, your coordination can also make a big difference on the play. If you establish a good work relationship, it will prove to be a valuable piece in this play." 

 

Amanda and Hannah froze in their places, then they looked at each other. Hannah turned the other way as soon as she did, while Amanda looked down and scratched her head. 

 

"Well, I suppose that will work," Hannah said, still looking away. 

 

"Yeah, I agree," Amanda said, still looking down. 

 

The rest of the girls watched the two blankly. Jasminka and Constanze then turned to each other and winked. Diana let out a barely noticeable smile. 

 

"Alright then, we are all settled with our roles," Diana concluded. "The next part is mastering our lines. Ad libs are welcomed, but take them in moderation..." 

 

\--- 

 

"Hannah is everything alright?" 

 

Hannah looked up from her book and was met with a worried look on Barbara's face. It was a day-off, and the Blue Team decided to stay in their room to study the play. Hannah had been eerily quiet since the day the main cast was announced, speaking only when she was spoken to. 

 

Hannah shook her head with a gentle smile. "I am fine, Barbara," she assured. "Just slightly overwhelmed, that's all."

 

"Being Juliet is absolutely jarring, so it seems," Barbara commented. 

 

Hannah couldn't help but laugh lightly. "It is rather surprising. Who knew someone like me would end up getting a big role? Honestly, I expected it to fall on Diana."

 

"Perhaps it was meant to be yours," Diana said. "Maybe this time, it's your turn for people to know you really well." 

 

"But what if I don't pull it off?" Hannah asked.

 

"We are not yet at that point, Hannah, so we can't say that," Barbara told her. "You can do this, we know you can."

 

There was a knock on the door, and Diana stood up to open it. Outside stood an unexpected visitor with a laptop.

 

"Is Hannah here?" 

 

It was Amanda. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Having Amanda and Hannah star in a school play was the first concept I had in mind. However, I wanted to make sure that the fic wouldn't rush towards that concept, so I thought of how I could go from Point A to Point B in the most plausible way I could come up--hence, the movie nights.
> 
> (And also, I admit that I am acting on my whims like Holbrooke when I started writing this chapter.)


	7. Romeo and Juliet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Preparations for the play are underway, and Amanda learns something new from Hannah.

"Is Hannah here?" Amanda inquired.

  
Hannah froze in her seat and dared not to look at who was at the door. Diana, on the other hand, looked as if Amanda's sudden visit isn't anything out of the ordinary.

  
"Amanda, fancy seeing you here," Diana commented.

  
"I uh, I wanted to invite Hannah to watch a movie," Amanda said. "For the play. I also figured I'd drop by instead of having Hannah over to save time."

  
Diana then snapped her fingers. "Barbara, would you mind if the two of us pay a visit to the Red Team's quarters now?"

  
"What for?" Barbara asked.

  
"I suddenly remembered that we have to talk with the others about some specific scenes in the play," Diana replied. "The ones without Romeo and Juliet in them."

  
"Sure, we can go ahead," Barbara said. "Hannah, will you be okay here?"

  
Hannah nodded. "I'll be fine, go ahead."

  
Diana then turned to Amanda who was still standing awkwardly at the door.

  
“Come on in, Amanda,” Diana said.

  
“Uh, yeah, right,” Amanda sputtered. “So uh, pardon the intrusion.”

  
Diana nodded and the two girls left. Amanda closed the door behind her and looked around the room. She let out a short whistle.

  
"It's pretty big as they say," Amanda commented. "So uh, where do I set up?"

  
Hannah stood up and pointed to the windowsill. "You can put it close to here, I'll go and prepare some snacks for the moment."

  
Amanda sat down and waited for Hannah to return. She opted to look around to ease her jitters on the place. The room was certainly swathed in all shades of blue, from the draperies to the walls.

  
_This is Blue Team's room, alright_ , Amanda thought to herself.

  
She tilted her head towards Hannah, who was preparing coffee. Amanda still couldn't believe that Hannah was playing Juliet, she had expected it to be Diana. Nevertheless, Amanda had her faith in Hannah to play the part flawlessly. It's Hannah, after all.

  
But what perplexed Amanda was the sudden shift in Hannah's behavior soon after they were assigned the roles. Hannah had become more quiet than usual, and whenever she messes with Akko, Hannah doesn't join in on the fun. She would also notice Hannah thinking more deeply than she should, which often formed a frown on her face.

  
Amanda decided to make small talk. "What roast do you have there?" she began.

  
Hannah answered without so much as turning around. "Arabica, and the _Alamid_ that Sucy gifted to us. I'm preparing the _Alamid_ , it's said to be a premium brew of its own despite its beans being harvested directly from the dried feces of the animal its name was derived from."

  
Amanda's eyes widened. "For real?"

  
"I was utterly shocked when I first heard of it. But when I tried it, it wasn't as bad as I had perceived it to be. It's almost the same as the other roasts I've tasted, but this seems to keep me up a bit longer."

  
Hannah then returned to the table with the coffee and biscuits on a tray. She picked up the creamer.

  
"You take it black, or with cream?" Hannah asked.

  
"I'd try it black, it's my first time drinking this kind of coffee," Amanda replied.

  
Hannah handed the mug over to Amanda, which the latter gently took. Hannah sat back down and poured cream and sugar into her own mug and began taking sips from it.

  
"You said you have a movie for us," Hannah said.

  
"Yeah, I did. _Romeo and Juliet_ , 1968. I didn't take the one with Leonardo diCaprio in it, it's a lot different from what we're supposed to reference."

  
"Let's start, then."

  
The movie played and the two sat back and watched, no further words shared between them. The film was a bit heavy in terms of dialogue since the script was taken directly from Shakespeare's original text. It was a good thing that Hannah had enough familiarity with Shakespeare to help Amanda understand the film. The subtitles that came along with the download also helped.

  
The film merely followed the source material, no twists whatsoever. Since both Hannah and Amanda were already familiar with the important plot points of the tragedy, the movie was merely a refresher of sorts, as well as a springboard of ideas. The two took to discussing their roles as soon as the movie ended.

  
"So let's see now..." Amanda began. "I think it'd be great if you make Juliet really playful. She's canonically thirteen, hence there is still the childish tone to her character. You should lay off on being such a stuck-up to get that angle right."

  
"And Romeo can be this type of guy who'd rather avoid trouble and only draw his sword when it's really necessary," Hannah added. "Maybe you can tone down on your cockiness and be a bit humbled for once to pull this off."

  
There was a pause, and both girls let out a laugh after that.

  
"Man, I almost thought I'd never hear you laugh again," Amanda said.

  
"W-What?" Hannah asked, surprised at the sudden remark.

  
"You've been really quiet since we got our roles," Amanda told her. "You said you have no objections, but looking at you now I'm starting to think maybe there is."

  
Hannah could only think of an excuse. "I needed to take it seriously. Otherwise, I'd fail. I'm sorry if I caused you worry for my recent actions."

  
Amanda nodded, understanding Hannah's point. "If you think of it that way, I guess I have to take this seriously as well."

  
They chatted idly over coffee and shared a few jokes in between. They then turned to gossip, which Hannah was enthusiastic about. They talked of their classmates who had relationships outside Luna Nova, as well as within its walls. Hannah expressed her concerns on the latter part not because of girls being involved with each other, but because it may distract them too much from their studies. Amanda, on the other hand, took on a somewhat neutral approach and said that a good balance between academics and personal affairs is a good way to make the whole thing work.

  
“You know, it's kinda refreshing talking to you about these kinds of stuff,” Amanda said. “I’ve always perceived you to have misgivings on them.”

  
“I did, once,” Hannah told her. “Then I became more open-minded as I grew older. Even more so when I started studying here in Luna Nova.”

  
“It changes a lot of things, huh?”

  
“Yes, so it seems.”

  
Amanda ruminated on what she was about to say next, then she leaned on her arms on the table.

  
“Have you ever seen yourself pursuing same-gender relationships?” Amanda asked.

  
Hannah paused, mulling on her answer. She then took a sip from her coffee.

  
“With the way I am now, I think I'm open to that.”

  
“What do you mean…with the way you are now?”

  
Hannah huffed. “I may have started developing interest for other girls just recently.”

  
Amanda chuckled. “That’s interesting.”

  
“And yet you're laughing at it.”

  
“I'm not mocking you, England. It's just that, I didn't expect that to hear from you and it took me quite by surprise.”

  
“Well then, now you know that I'm also interested in girls. Should I be wary of you now since you're practically aware of my orientation?”

  
Amanda smirked. “It depends, England. I've got a lot in my mind as of late that I can't find time to chase after a new girl.”

  
Hannah scoffed. “Hah, the Casanova has to take breaks after all.”

  
When they were finished, Hannah stood up to bring the empty mugs and plates at the sink, and Amanda offered to help her tidy up. Hannah refused, but Amanda’s insistence eventually made her give in. As they washed the mugs and plates, Amanda flicked her soapy finger at Hannah. Hannah yelped, which sent Amanda into a fit of laughter.

  
“What was that for?” Hannah growled.

  
“Nothing,” Amanda snickered.

  
Hannah pouted, then she dipped her hands into the suds and whipped her hand at Amanda, sending clumps of soap into her face. Amanda jumped back with a laugh and proceeded to wipe off the soap with her arm. Hannah grabbed a clean washcloth and began to wipe Amanda’s face.

  
“Use a washcloth, for chrissakes,” Hannah said with a laugh. “You’re not a kid anymore.”

  
As she gently rubbed off the soap from Amanda’s face, their eyes met. Amanda was no longer grinning, and Hannah’s smile dropped. Hannah then felt Amanda’s hand on her own.

  
“Were you always this gentle?” Amanda asked, her voice close to a whisper.

  
“I can’t say,” Hannah answered.

  
Their gazes were still locked on each other, never wavering even for a fraction of a second. When Hannah felt like she couldn’t handle things much longer, she wiped off the last of the soap from Amanda’s face and gave the washcloth to her.

  
“You wipe off the rest,” Hannah told her. “I may have missed a spot.”

  
Amanda blinked. “Uh...yeah, sure. Thanks.”

  
After washing, Amanda proceeded to gather her things and bade Hannah farewell. Hannah walked her to the door.

  
"First round of rehearsals are tomorrow," Hannah reminded her. "Don't be late."

  
"Come on, pigeon, I'm never late," Amanda said with a smirk. "See you when I see you."

  
Hannah closed the door after that. Her legs then gave way and she slid down to the floor. She exhaled deeply as if she had been holding her breath the entire time. With that, she hid her face in her palms and sighed heavily.

  
Diana returned by herself later in the day—Barbara wanted to talk more with Lotte about the Nightfall forum—and was surprised to find Hannah slumped on her desk, perhaps dozing off after reading her lines.

  
She was about to wake Hannah up to help her move to the bed when she noticed something in Hannah's hand resting on the desk. Peering closer, she smiled.

  
\---

  
The first rehearsal started in the afternoon. Lotte gained permission to tweak the script after convincing Chariot that it was not with the times. This eventually made Lotte the play's director, a role she gladly took on.  
They first focused on the opening scenes, the brawl of the Montagues and the Capulets that broke out in the plaza. Lotte devised a choreography of the fights in order to avoid it looking too chaotic. Amanda and Hannah were at the sidelines for the moment, waiting for their turns.

  
Amanda's rehearsals did not require retakes, much to the astonishment and awe of her colleagues. Lotte could only be grateful that Amanda seemed to take the task seriously, given that the redhead had first expressed her dislike at being cast as Romeo.

  
Hannah's rehearsals were practically flawless, and this was very much expected. Her take on Juliet as a playful, carefree maiden charmed the others who were watching and rehearsing with her.  
Lotte then called for a break. She was joined by Diana at a nearby balcony as she rested, and there they discussed the progress of the play.

  
"I braced myself for a herculean task," Lotte began. "But judging by how things are currently going, I think we can all go along just fine. Constanze fared really well for someone who doesn't speak much, and it certainly helps that Akko is a performer at heart. She knows what she's doing.”

  
Diana smiled. "Gotta hand it to her obsession with Chariot," she said.

  
Lotte laughed. "True, true. And I must say, I did not know what to expect with Amanda except that she might just slack off, but after seeing her rehearsal, she sure can act."

  
Diana huffed, her smile unwavering. "I do have to wonder, though..."

  
"What about?"

  
Diana crossed her arms as she looked at the horizon. "Will she be able to do just as well as she did as soon as it comes to rehearsing scenes with Hannah?"

  
"Diana, I don't follow."

  
"It's not that I doubt their capabilities as actresses, but Lotte, we have to take a few things in consideration."

  
"Such as?"

  
"This is a play about star-crossed lovers, and we are all awkward teenagers."


	8. Peace is a Fragile Thing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Every rehearsal is not without its troubles.

The next rounds of rehearsals went by without any major troubles, and the costume department had the actresses measured and fitted. After the fitting, rehearsals continued. Lotte took great care not to overwork her colleagues, opting to offer them gentle feedback on parts they are weak at and commending them at the ones where they are at their best. Her colleagues had come to refer to her as "Mama Lotte", which often brought a prominent flush to Lotte's cheeks. Chariot helped around as well by also providing feedback and guidance. She even brought refreshments for the students during breaks.

  
She told Croix all about the play one night during their video call. Croix was highly amused at this, saying that Holbrooke really had the penchant for making surprises.

  
"And Amanda O'Neill as Romeo," Croix added. "I've seen that girl in a suit, she can definitely pull it off. And Juliet...Hannah England, was it? I remember she's one of the brightest students in my class. Pretty excited about the tablets, too."

  
"I was surprised at the turnout of the votes," Chariot said. "I had expected that Akko and Diana would play as Romeo and Juliet. Given that they have started dating, I figured the students would love seeing them act in a romantic play."

  
"I still can't believe they ended up being together," Croix said. "And you had a hand in it, huh? Letting the kids do their schemes isn't something a professor like you should do."

  
"You can't blame me, Croix. I've always done these sorts of things since we were younger."

  
"Good grief, Chariot, you are an adult for chrissakes!" Man, you sure are something." Croix took a moment to sip from her coffee mug. "So they're dating now, huh?"

  
"Yeah, so it seems. Akko wouldn't stop gushing about Diana."

  
"Send them my greetings, then." Croix adjusted herself in her seat. "So, Amanda and Hannah, how are they faring so far?"

  
"Both have shown good performances, but only on the scenes where their characters haven't interacted yet. We are yet to get to the point where Romeo and Juliet see each other for the first time. I hope they don't become too awkward about it."

  
\---

  
"Alright, we're going to work on the Capulet's party scene," Lotte announced. "We start with Romeo and Benvolio deciding to sneak into the party."

  
Amanda stood up and did her part with ease, even joking around to amuse the others who were watching. Even Hannah couldn't resist smiling.

  
"Okay, that's about it," Lotte said after the scene was finished. "Now we cut in to the scene where Romeo and Juliet see each other for the first time. Amanda, Hannah, if you may?"

  
Hannah stood up from her seat with a bit of hesitation, which was not missed by Diana's watchful eyes. Amanda on the other hand appeared to be nervous as she approached Hannah halfway to the middle of the room. Jasminka and Constanze looked at each other and then back to Amanda.

  
Somehow, Hannah was thankful that only a handful of students were in the room they were rehearsing in.

  
Lotte cued in the start of the exchange of lines between Romeo and Juliet. Amanda set off to reciting her lines and Hannah responded with her own.

  
Lotte felt as if something was off with how Hannah delivered her lines, so after the scene was played out, she took Hannah aside to talk about it.

  
"Do you need help with your lines, Hannah?" Lotte asked in her calm, gentle voice.

  
"I...I don't know, Lotte," Hannah said shakily. "I can't seem to get into it."

  
Lotte smiled emphatically. "It sounds awkward, don't you think?"

  
"It sure does. And it's not helping that Amanda is the one I'm talking to."

  
"Why? What's wrong?"

  
Hannah held her tongue right there and then, letting out an excuse instead. "Just give me a bit more time, I'll do it right."

  
Lotte nodded. "Okay, but let me give you an advice. When you deliver your lines, think as if you are sending a very heartfelt message as a last ditch effort. Don't worry, no one will know but you."

  
Hannah nodded. "I'll do my best. Thank you, Lotte."

  
Lotte called them up to repeat the scene, and Hannah set herself to do it right. As the two rehearsed, Diana, who had been keenly watching, began to notice a shift in how Hannah spoke her lines.

  
Hannah spoke with a deep feeling of longing, as if she really was Juliet who had become smitten with Romeo the moment she had her eyes on him. It's as if Hannah is laying her feelings bare in front of Amanda. Amanda was awestruck, and if it wasn't just a play, she could have sworn that it felt like Hannah was in truly in love with her.

  
The scene ended, and Lotte called it a day. She gave Hannah a pat on the back for her performance and thanked her as she usually did with every rehearsal.

  
Hannah decided to head to the courtyard to get some fresh air. She sat alone on one of the benches and closed her eyes.

  
"Hey."

  
Hannah's eyes snapped open at the familiar voice, and right in front of her was Amanda, handing her a bottle of iced tea.

  
"A-Amanda, what are you doing here?" Hannah sputtered.

  
"I followed you, I figured you'd be taxed with today's rehearsal so I headed here to give you this."

  
Hannah turned to the bottled tea in Amanda's hand and took it. "Oh, um, thank you. Sorry for the bother."

  
"You apologize too much," Amanda said as she sat beside Hannah. "By the way, you did great back there. Almost thought you were really in love with me."

  
Hannah spit out the tea in shock and Amanda almost jumped out of the bench.

  
"Christ, you could have warned me!" Amanda hollered.

  
"I-It's not like that!" Hannah blurted out. "I wouldn't even dream of it!"

  
For a second, Amanda felt a painful twist in her chest. She shook her head and handed Hannah her handkerchief.

  
"Clean yourself, you look ridiculous," Amanda said.

  
Hannah reluctantly took the handkerchief and wiped off the tea from her face. Amanda told her she can return it once it was washed and Hannah could only clutch at the handkerchief in embarrassment.

  
"You know, I could pretty much say the same about you," Hannah said soon after. "Had I been another girl, I would have been swooning right there and then."

  
"Oh, so you think I'm so damn charming I can make you faint?"

  
"No, what I'm saying is that I am not one of your girls who keel over instantly at the sight of you."

  
Amanda cackled at that, and Hannah could barely hide the smile on her face.

  
Hannah cursed herself in this moment, and she wanted to leave that instant. But as she laughed with Amanda, she found it hard to do so. With that, Hannah resigned herself to the simple yet saddening and fleeting pleasure of having the best and the worst thing in her life by her side.

  
_Best I make the most of it while I can._

  
\---

  
The rehearsals ended for the day and Lotte gleefully dismissed her classmates. Sucy waited up for her as she closed up the rehearsal room, and the two made small talk as they walked to their quarters.

  
"You've worked hard today," Sucy began. "Surely you must be really tired."

  
"I have to be honest about that," Lotte said as she rubbed her nape. "I'm having a bit of a problem with Hannah and Amanda in regards to their scenes together. It's like, they're too awkward with each other."

  
"With a play like that, who wouldn't?"

  
"I know, I know. But this is a different kind of awkward. Like, there's more to it than just...plain awkwardness."

  
Lotte continued. "And it's...strange. Amanda and Hannah usually work well as a unit when it comes to teasing Akko, and they banter as if they have been really close friends from the beginning. Now that I think about it, a few things have come to light which I might have overlooked before."

  
"Such as?"

  
"Amanda seemed to have grown nervous around Hannah whenever they read their lines. Hannah acts as if she badly wants to say something to Amanda but is hesitant about it, hence she tends to get really stiff."

  
Sucy mulled on Lotte's words and realized that she wasn't alone in her observations. Nevertheless, she decided not to speak anything so as to avoid putting more strain on Lotte.

  
"Perhaps the fact that they've come to see each other as good friends made them feel and act that way," Sucy said. "I mean, imagine yourself reading lovey-dovey lines with Akko, wouldn't it be awkward?"

  
"That is rather awkward," Lotte said with a giggle. "But then, I sure hope they can get past it before the deadline."

  
"They're bright kids, I'm sure they can do that."

  
\---

  
Diana and Akko were sitting at the tower, idly talking about school and the play.

  
"How does it feel to play a lady-in-waiting?" Akko asked.

  
"It's refreshing, to say the least," Diana answered. "And it gave me a bit of perspective on how it's like for the staff back in our estate."

  
"Acting sure has a way of teaching us about a lot of things," Akko said. "Like now, for example. Never in my life did I wield a sword against someone. I kinda like it, though."

  
"Because you're making payback for Barbara's treatment of you," Diana said jokingly.

  
"Hey, it's not like that," Akko pouted. "I mean sure, Barbara and Hannah may have been mean back then but we're friends now so I don't think any payback is due."

  
"Oh you, I am merely jesting," Diana said, snuggling closer in Akko's arm. "You're not one to do that sort of thing."

  
Akko smiled warmly at Diana. "You think so, huh."

  
"Of course. You have a kind and warm heart, and a beautiful soul."

  
Akko was grateful that Diana couldn't see her flaming cheeks. "What a sap. Now I'm starting to understand why Amanda couldn't stand the two of us when we're together like this."

  
"Amanda should just grab herself a girlfriend."

  
"I told her that, and she said she's not gonna be anyone's lover."

  
Diana chuckled. "I highly doubt it."

  
Akko shifted to look at Diana. "What do you mean?"

  
Diana wriggled out of Akko's arm and stood up. "Nothing, just a random thought. You know, we should hurry back before the curfew starts."

  
Akko took Diana's outstretched hand and pulled herself up. Before she let go, she pulled Diana towards her and left a kiss on the blonde's lips.

  
"A kiss for the charming lady-in-waiting, from a Gentleman of Verona," Akko said in a low voice.

  
Diana smiled. "And you think I'm the sap."

  
Akko shrugged. "I guess it rubbed off on me tonight."

  
\---

  
Hannah flipped through her tomes and made notes. Although the next exam was postponed due to the play, she still made sure to keep herself updated with her lectures. Barbara on the other hand was reading another novel after she had finished her own study routine. She looked up from what she was reading and quietly observed Hannah. Her friend's face was set into a frown, perhaps too concentrated on her work. With that, Barbara stood up and made tea.

  
Hannah was all too surprised when a teacup had settled itself close to her books, and turning around she was met with Barbara just about to tuck her wand away.

  
"Take a break," Barbara told her. "You've got way too much on your mind already."

  
Hannah relented and closed her notebook. Barbara pulled the chair from her own desk and sat beside Hannah.

  
"Wanna talk about it?" Barbara asked.

  
"Talk about what?" Hannah countered, sipping on her tea.

  
"Whatever's on your mind. We've been friends for like, a long time now, I can tell you're out of sorts. And you should talk to someone about it, not keep it to yourself."

  
_I don't even know where to start._ "They’re all...jumbled. My thoughts, that is."

  
The door opened and in came Diana, with another set of books under her arm. Barbara offered her tea, which she gladly accepted.

  
"By the way," Barbara said, her thumb pointed at Hannah. "Miss England here is kinda lost in the sauce. Perhaps we can all talk about it?"

  
Diana joined her teammates at the desks. "What is it about, Hannah? Is something troubling you?"

  
Hannah sighed. "I feel like everything's spinning and whirling around me, and it's all because of this play."

  
"What's wrong? Do you have trouble with your lines?" Barbara asked.

  
"No, I can do my lines just fine," Hannah said. "It's just—”

   
"It's Amanda, isn't it?"

  
Both girls turned to Diana. Diana put down her teacup and leaned on the desk.

  
"I have noticed that while you can perfectly handle scenes with other characters, you tend to be having fusses when it comes to acting with Amanda," Diana said. "Is there a problem with Amanda that you can't seem to figure out?"

  
Hannah flinched. "N-no, I...it's just...awkward, that's all."

  
"Awkward...how?" Diana asked.

  
"I can't seem to get that out of my system," Hannah said, pained at the thought of the redhead. "Maybe it's because we're awfully familiar with each other as friends that I find myself difficult to work with her as a fictional lover. I can't seem to get into it fully."

  
"That wasn't the case the other day," Diana said.

  
Barbara tilted her head left and right at the exchange between her teammates, wondering if Diana was trying to make Hannah say something or if Hannah was dodging it.

  
"Okay, girls," Barbara called out.

  
The two halted and turned to Barbara.

  
"What is it, Barbara dear?" Diana asked.

  
"What is going on here?" Barbara asked back. "You two just started talking like that for no reason."

  
Diana paused and then let out a sigh. She turned back to Hannah with a worried look on her face.

  
"Hannah, just hang on a bit longer," Diana said.

  
With that, Diana left them to prepare for bed. Barbara stood up and picked up the teacups, figuring that asking further questions would be pointless. Hannah remained in her seat, her fists tightly clenched. As to why, she herself can't answer.

  
\---

  
"Peach is such a fragile thing," Jasminka said as she set off for bed.

  
"So it seems," Constanze agreed, preparing for another all-nighter at the workshop. "I do wonder, how much longer will it take until it all snaps?"

  
Jasminka shrugged. "I can't say. But hopefully it does after the play. It would get very messy otherwise."


	9. And Aubrey Was Her Name

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A old song is played...an interlude to an incoming storm.

It was the last day of rehearsals, and only a few scenes were left for Lotte to work on. Amanda and Hannah seemed to have gotten over their jitters, their deliveries better than the previous rehearsals. This relieved Lotte, who had been worrying that the two might not be convincing enough in portraying themselves as lovers. Eventually, the final rehearsals concluded, and Lotte commended everyone for their hard work. What's left to do was the actual performance and Lotte left a few good words of encouragement, stating that the most important thing is to have fun.

Hannah was preparing to leave when Amanda approached her.

  
"Hey," Amanda greeted.

  
"Hey," Hannah greeted back.

  
Amanda let out a puff of air and steadied herself. "Y'know, I was thinking," she began. "Since we're all done with the play, maybe you can join me for another movie night later?"

  
Hannah paused, and this immediately alarmed Amanda. "Uh, if you're not up for it, I can call it off," she sputtered.

  
Hannah let out a smile, and Amanda felt her heart jump.

  
"What are we watching?" Hannah asked.

  
\---

  
" _A Streetcar Named Desire,_ " Hannah read. "Another old film, I take it?"

  
It was only the two of them again in the Green Team's quarters. Jasminka and Constanze went to the Red Team's room to have their nightly game of UNO, leaving Amanda in charge.

  
Amanda no longer minded if the others would know about the movie night. She figured there was nothing else to it.

  
"Couldn't think of anything else, truth be told," Amanda said, opening the file.

  
"I noticed we've been watching old films," Hannah said. "I wonder why."

  
"I don't know about you, but for me I think it's because there's a particular charm to them," Amanda told her. "They draw me in, somehow."

  
The movie rolled by without any comment from both girls. Hannah took to sitting at the floor with Amanda, having regained enough courage to get her through the night.

Amanda noticed this sudden change, but she eventually dismissed it.

  
"You Americans sure tend to speak funny," Hannah said.

  
"What do you mean by that?" Amanda asked.

  
"That guy, the one whose shirt is always sweaty, he speaks funny."

  
"Oh, you mean Marlon Brando?" Amanda chuckles. "I guess that's his signature style. He still spoke like that in The Godfather."

  
"That Mafia movie?"

  
"Yeah. Heard it was a novel, too, that movie."

  
"The trend of adapting books to films is surely an old one." Hannah shook her head. "And the people doing it today can sometimes be a bit...awry."

  
Amanda scoffed. "Tell me about it."

  
The two resumed watching. After a while, Amanda noticed Hannah trying to adjust herself in her place and was getting uncomfortable.

  
"Hey," Amanda called.

  
"What?" Hannah responded.

  
Amanda tapped on her own shoulder. "Come on, you can lean on me."

  
Hannah froze. "W-what?"

  
"You can lean on me. You don't look very comfortable as it is. You can rest your head on me."

  
Hannah nodded. _Best I make the most of it while I can, right?_

  
Hannah slowly crawled over to Amanda's side and meekly settled her head on the redhead's shoulder. The two silently resumed watching.

  
The movie was reaching its climax, and Hannah was torn on whether she should sit up or keep leaning on Amanda's shoulder. Amanda on the other hand was trying to pick between putting her arm around Hannah to make it more comfortable, or staying put and hope that her arm won't turn numb in the most opportune of times.

  
Amanda frowned. _Ah, screw it._

  
She wriggled her arm out, causing Hannah to sit up.

  
"I'm just gonna...adjust myself a bit..." Amanda said.

  
"Oh dear, I'm sorry," Hannah quickly said.

  
"Nah, no biggie," Amanda assured. "Alright, you can lean back."

  
Hannah looked over to Amanda's now open arm. She swallowed nervously.

  
_I am really doing myself in now._

  
Hannah shifted in her place and leaned back. The two sat awkwardly as they watched. Amanda kept her arm from reflexively wrapping itself around Hannah, and Hannah took great care not to lean too much lest she drowns herself in it.They no longer had their attention towards the movie, as it had been shifted to how they sat side by side. When it ended, Hannah was the first to stand. Amanda returned the laptop back to its bag without a word.

  
"Is it curfew already?" Hannah asked.

  
"Yeah," Amanda said. "Would you..."

  
"I'll stay here for the night, if you won't mind."

  
Amanda blinked a few times. "Well, uh, sure...no problem."

  
Hannah settled on Amanda's bed while Amanda took her place at the floor. It wasn't until several minutes later when Amanda crawled out of her sheets and walked over to the window. Before she could climb out, Hannah called her.

  
"Amanda."

  
Amanda flinched. "Y-yeah?"

  
Amanda kept her back to Hannah, then she heard the creak of the bed and the sound of Hannah's footfalls.

  
"Couldn't sleep?" Hannah asked.

  
"Looks like it," she answered.

  
There was a brief moment of silence, and Amanda poised herself to climb out, only to be abruptly stopped again.

  
"Play a song for me," she heard Hannah ask.

  
Amanda turned around. In front of her, Hannah stood still, with her hair down and her sleepwear slightly disheveled from sitting on the floor. It was a sight she couldn't turn her eyes away from and her breath hitched.

  
"What do you wanna hear?" she asked, her voice low.

  
"Anything."

  
Amanda scoffed to shoo away the jitters she had been feeling. "That's gonna make it hard for me."

  
"Just...play something. Anything."

  
"Alright." Amanda conjured a guitar and sat on the floor. "Sit back and relax, pigeon."

  
Hannah settled on the floor as well, right across Amanda. Amanda randomly plucked on the strings as she tried to come up with a song, until she eventually thought of one and transitioned there.

  
_And Aubrey was her name,_

  
_A not so very ordinary girl or name_

  
_But who's to blame?_

  
_For a love that wouldn't bloom_

  
_For the hearts that never played in tune_

  
_Like a lovely melody that everyone can sing,_

  
_Take away the words that rhyme it doesn't mean a thing_

  
Amanda had decided on _Aubrey_ , a song she heard on her parents' player when she was a child. As to why Amanda chose it, it was because she felt that this was somewhat appropriate for the moment.

  
_And Aubrey was her name_

  
_We tripped the light and danced together to the moon,_

  
_But where was June_

  
_No it never came around_

  
_If it did it never made a sound,_

  
_Maybe I was absent or was listening too fast,_

  
_Catching all the words, but then the meaning going past,_

  
Amanda breathed in to make sure that she sings the next lyrics with more feeling.

  
_But God I miss the girl,_

  
_And I'd go a thousand times around the world just to be_

  
_Closer to her than to me_

  
Hannah began to feel a bit sad with the song, yet her heart fluttered to the sound of Amanda's voice. She scolded herself for having too much fun today, which she justified with the reason that she only did what she did simply for the joy of it.

  
_And Aubrey was her name,_

  
_I never knew her, but I loved her just the same,_

  
_I loved her name_

  
_Wish that I had found the way_

  
_And the reasons that would make her stay_

  
_I have learned to lead a life apart from all the rest_

  
_If I can't have the one I want, I'll do without the best_

  
Hannah knew that whatever happens that night will be nothing to Amanda, so she decided to treasure the moment herself and keep it as a bittersweet memory.

  
_But how I miss the girl_

  
_And I'd go a million times around the world just to say_

  
_She had been mine for a day_

  
Indeed, Amanda had been hers for a day.

When Amanda finished, Hannah thanked her for the song.

  
"I didn't think you can read minds," Hannah said.

  
"What are you talking about?" Amanda asked.

  
Hannah shook her head. "Nothing. I'll be sleeping now and you should, too."

  
But neither of them stood up from the floor, and instead, they were looking at each other's faces. Hannah took note of the freckles om Amanda's face, and she found it endearing. Amanda on the other hand was fixated on Hannah's lashes, which made her olive-green eyes alluring.

  
"Pigeon," Amanda called out.

  
"Don't call me that," Hannah said.

  
Amanda leaned forward. "What do you want me to call you, then?"

  
Hannah leaned forward as well. "Nothing."

  
"Nothing?"

  
"Yeah.”

  
Their faces were closer now. Hannah gazed intensely at Amanda's eyes, then she turned away and climbed into Amanda's bed. Amanda looked on, then she scratched her head and crawled into the sheets on the floor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was thinking of a nice song for this chapter, then I remembered listening to my father playing "Aubrey" on his guitar so I went with that.
> 
> (Pa's a fan of Bread and we used to have this CD of the band's songs that we would listen to on the player)
> 
> As for the movie, I picked "A Streetcar Named Desire" so it'd be consistent with the movies I've inserted in the fic so far.


	10. Hanging By A Thread

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It seems that the play will take a rather surprising turn...

It was the day of the play and not one of the students in the production team were vacant. They hustled and bustled behind the closed curtains, each aiming to bring the play off to a good start.

 

Akko, clad in her costume, took a peek from behind the curtain. She immediately retreated back and let out a breath.

 

"Man, we really have to do this right," Akko said. "Headmistress Holbrooke is smack dab in the middle of the front row!”

 

Lotte gathered everyone backstage. She was not one to make speeches, but seeing the nervous looks on her colleagues’ faces, she steeled herself to give them one last push.

 

“Alright, I’m not really good with speeches, so I’ll have to keep this brief,” she began. “I want all of you to know that I am very thankful for each and everyone of you. We wouldn’t be able to reach this point if it weren’t for your efforts…and the deadline.”

 

Giggles rose from the small crowd. Lotte smiled at them in return.

 

“Now, we’re all off to set this play in motion,” Lotte continued. “Even if this is a serious undertaking, keep in mind that the most important thing here is that we all have fun. We’re just teenagers putting on a show for entertainment, so it would only be right of us to enjoy every bit of it. Now, let’s all head off to our posts and give them a hell of a show!”

 

The students raised their fists with a shout at Lotte’s speech. At the count of five, the curtain was raised and the play was underway. The first fight scene was riveting at best. Lotte had encouraged taking the fight off the stage, and Akko and Barbara ended up with a choreographed duel that scaled even up to the upper boxes of the auditorium. As they clashed swords, they delivered their lines with fervor and emotion that it sent the audience to the edge of their seats. The two “Gentlemen of Verona” took great care not to harm anyone in their swings, and the fight scene ended without so much fuss.

 

Amanda, dressed in her Romeo outfit, stood nervously and waited for her cue at the side of the stage. Lotte, who was beside her at the time, took notice of Amanda’s distress.

 

“Nervous?” Lotte asked, placing a gentle hand on Amanda’s shoulder.

 

“Yeah,” was all Amanda could say.

 

“Just keep in mind how you were during the rehearsals. Have fun, it’s all that matters.”

 

Amanda let out a smile, somewhat assuaged by Lotte’s words. Soon after, Amanda got her cue to go on stage and waited for the scene to start. When she appeared on stage, there was a collective sigh from the audience. This was highly expected, but it still proved to be hilarious for her colleagues backstage as they tried to hide their snickers and giggles. At the front row, Holbrooke smiled widely at Amanda. She then turned to Chariot, who had just let out a chuckle.

 

“I told you they can pull it off,” Holbrooke told her, as if she knew all along.

 

Amanda delivered her lines well and gave improvisations on some parts, even joking around to add life to the scene. She performed the same as she did during rehearsals, and her charm proved to be advantageous for the role she was given. Every smile she sent the audience would be returned with sighs and cheers. Hannah was commendable as well, and her playful take on Juliet endeared her to the audience. She also gave her improvisations without affecting the flow and mood of the scene.

 

\---

 

After the previous scenes had played out, the cue was now given to enact the Capulet ball, where the ill-fated lovers were set to meet for the first time. Amanda entered the stage first along with Wangari who played Benvolio. There was a quick joke shared between them and a few more lines were uttered. Hannah could only hear Amanda and Wangari’s voices from behind the curtain, and this made her eager and anxious at the same time. Finally, Hannah got her cue and stepped into the spotlight, clad in the outfit referenced from the 1968 film she watched with Amanda days before. There was a wave of “oohs” and “aahs” from the audience, and the ones to thank were the stagehands handling the lighting which perfectly highlighted Hannah on the stage.

 

Amanda was stunned at the sight of Hannah before her, and for a moment she had forgotten how to speak. Wangari gave her a subtle nudge which got her back on track. She met Hannah halfway on the stage and bowed.

 

“I know I’m not worthy,” Amanda recited. “But would you be so kind as to join me for a dance?”

 

“Hannah smiled at her. “Don’t be too hard on yourself, good sir. I’ll gladly dance with you.”

 

The two moved to the center of the stage and danced along to the music. Their eyes were locked on each other, neither one glancing away even for a bit.

 

“You look pretty in that costume,” Amanda told her in a low voice that only Hannah can hear.

 

“I don't believe you,” Hannah retorted in the same tone.

 

Amanda frowned slightly. “Why not?”

 

“You don't have to know.”

 

Amanda rolled her eyes. “England, what's this about? What is it that I don't have to know?”

 

Hannah shook her head with a smile. “Like I said, you don’t have to know.”

 

Their dance ended on cue. Amanda returned to playing Romeo and asked Hannah for a kiss as per script. The two leaned and brought their faces closer and then Diana entered the scene, interrupting them (this was also per the script). Juliet's identity was revealed after she was summoned by Lord Capulet—played by Sucy.

 

Amanda backed away, preparing to exit the stage. “I apologize, but I must leave right away.”

 

Hannah moved to rush after her. “Wait! You have not told me your name!”

 

Amanda shifted to face Hannah, her eyes cold as ice. “You do not have to know.”

 

Amanda left the stage, frowning. Hannah was perturbed at this, but she decided not let it get the best of her and recited her lines as if there wasn't anything bothering her at all. After Hannah exited the stage with Diana, the first act was concluded and an intermission was conducted.

 

This gave everyone a break, especially the students backstage. Amanda used this break to step outside the auditorium. She sat down on the back steps, remembering Lotte's gentle reminder that she stay close to the auditorium.

 

There was something iffy with Hannah, and it bothered her to an extent. She had a vague idea as to what Hannah wasn't telling her, but she rebuked it for it was too conceited of an idea. With that in mind, Amanda could only run a hand through her hair and sigh heavily. She then remembered the next act, and she immediately thought of an idea to get her answers.

 

 _Lotte would kill me for this_ , Amanda thought as she returned to the auditorium.

 

\---

 

The balcony scene was cued in. Hannah recited her lines with such emotion that it tugged the heartstrings of everyone in the auditorium. Amanda returned her lines in the same intensity as Hannah's, and one would mistakenly think of them as actual star-crossed lovers.

 

Amanda then made her move. She climbed up to the balcony, much to Hannah's surprise. Amanda grabbed Hannah's hand and held it close to her chest.

 

“Tell me, Juliet, do you love me?” Amanda asked.

 

Amanda dropped her acting voice and asked the question in such a casual manner that she knew Hannah would immediately pick up on.

 

Sure enough, Amanda got through to Hannah. Hannah realized that Amanda wasn't acting, that the question was meant not for Juliet, but for her. This alarmed her, but she deemed that two can play at the game Amanda had set before them. She wriggled her hand free from Amanda's grasp and began to play coy.

 

“I'm deeply embarrassed that you had to hear all of that,” Hannah recited. “But how about you? Do you love me?”

 

“Juliet, you know I—”

 

“No, don't answer that. I know you will say yes.”

 

Hannah glared at Amanda as she spoke. Amanda was taken aback by the glare, as if Hannah was accusing her of sweet-talking to get what she wanted.

 

Amanda began to try reasoning with Hannah. “Juliet, please, I have to know.”

 

“No,” Hannah said defiantly. “Not tonight, when all of this will drift away as soon as the sun rises. I know how you gentlemen do it. I have heard how you made women fall for your false love, how you keep them in your clutches, and how you simply throw them away once they have no longer of any worth to you. No, I will not tell you anything, nor will I accept your answers.”

 

Backstage, Diana and Constanze were listening keenly on the exchange. They, too, realized that an improvisation was taking place. Moreover, they also noticed that there was more to Hannah's words than what the others have heard. It was as if Hannah was weighing down on Amanda's ill reputation and how she highly disproved of it.

 

Constanze could only pray that Amanda gets the damn point.

 

Things were turning queasy for Amanda, but she needed her answers.

 

“Juliet, I know that this may not be enough to ease your worries and suspicions, but I want you to know that my affections for you are genuine at best, and that I mean only well,” she said. “Tonight I only ask one thing from you…do you love me, Juliet? Just a good answer, that is all I want to hear.”

 

“No, I will not answer that,” Hannah responded. “Go home, Romeo. In the morning, we shall find out if you really meant what you feel for me.”

 

Hannah was in distress. Amanda was probing her for answers, and it was the last thing she wanted to happen. Try as she might in deterring Amanda and have her go back to reciting what was in the script, the redhead standing earnestly before her was persistent.

 

The two were no longer acting at that point. Because of Hannah's perplexing actions before and during the play, Amanda had become curious and greatly bothered. She still had the vague idea that Hannah might be…

 

 _No, it's impossible. She would never even dream of it_ , Amanda countered.

 

But Amanda wanted to clear the cloud that had shrouded her for days. She didn't want to grope in the dark, even more so when she doesn't have an idea as to what she was groping for. Hannah, on the other hand, wanted to keep Amanda away from the truth. She didn't want Amanda to know everything, for it would only hurt her and damage their friendship. She blamed herself for being careless about hiding her feelings, and now all she could do was try and give it her all to keep Amanda at bay.

 

“Juliet, do you not believe me?”

 

_Why are you like this?_

 

“It is not that I do not believe you, for I know that you are an honest soul. But for tonight, please, retire to your estate and return to me in the morning. By then we shall see if your heart is on the same page as the words you have uttered to me.”

 

_No, not now! Leave me be!_

 

“Juliet, I love you, this I swear, and if you love me, too, then—"

 

_I need an explanation!_

 

“Don't!”

 

_Enough! No more!_

 

Hannah blurted out the ad lib with such ferocity that it hushed everyone in the auditorium. Amanda froze in her place, her gaze still on Hannah. To her surprise, Hannah looked as if she was about to cry.

 

_But why?_

 

Was Hannah too invested in her role that it sent her on the verge of tears? Amanda could only bounce that and a few other questions in her mind.

 

Amanda's thoughts were cut short when Diana called out from the backstage. Hannah turned to leave, as per the script. There were no more improvisations, so it seemed, but Amanda needed her answers.

 

“Juliet,” Amanda said as backed away to leave the balcony. “Please.”

 

Hannah shook her head. “No, my love.”

 

“Juliet!”

 

“I have already told you.”

 

With that, Hannah turned to leave, and Amanda, defeated and more perplexed than before, climbed off the balcony. Amanda thought Hannah had changed her mind when she appeared again on the balcony. But Hannah reverted to reciting her original lines, and Amanda could only watch as Hannah exited the stage. She returned to reciting her own lines, and the scene was concluded.

 

Diana and Constanze, who had watched like hawks at the events unfolding before them, had a sense of what's to come and were very much perturbed by it.

 

\---

 

The play had reached its climax later on. Hannah now lay on the funeral bed since Juliet had consumed a sleeping draught to feign death. Amanda appeared on the scene as the now distraught and grieving Romeo, fooled into thinking that Juliet had perished from a grave illness. After reciting Romeo's final lines, Amanda pretended to drink from a small bottle she had pulled out from her pocket, and in two beats she fell to the floor. There was a small outcry from the audience as Amanda lay still as a corpse.

 

Hannah rose from the funeral bed as per the script. She acted as rehearsed after seeing Amanda on the floor. It was when she sat down beside Amanda did things become interesting. She caressed Amanda's face with feather-like gentleness as she recited her lines, and all the while she smiled down on Amanda.

 

Thoughts of the time she spent with Amanda and her own feelings raced within Hannah's mind. They had given her a great deal of distress, but they also gave her a unique kind of joy that she knew she will never get to experience again.

 

Being in love with Amanda O’Neill was a bittersweet thing. Hannah decided right there and then to let it all go. Perhaps, with what she was set to do tonight, Amanda may come to understand why she had acted the way she did up until this moment.

 

She recited her lines, her gaze never leaving Amanda's face. It was the last time she'd look at Amanda that way.

 

“Surely there's still a bit of poison left,” Hannah said as she lightly traced Amanda's lips with her thumb.

 

_Just this once, and then no more._

 

With that, Hannah leaned down and kissed Amanda straight on the lips. It was chaste, but just enough for the both of them to feel it.

 

To Hannah, it was a confession.

 

And a farewell.

 

Both the audience and those backstage were stunned at the scene before them. It was originally intended that the two would pretend to kiss and hide their faces, but Hannah had done something else entirely. The professors, except for Holbrooke who was silent as she watched, were too shocked to object to the scene. Amanda, despite the surprise, kept herself completely still so as not to ruin the scene.

 

Hannah’s kiss was brief enough to elicit those reactions, and then she rose. She reverted to acting and reciting her final lines as per the script, and after pretending to stab herself with the prop dagger, she fell to the floor. The rest of the cast flocked in and after the final line was uttered, the play was concluded.

 

The play was met with thunderous applause and a standing ovation. The main cast were called one by one to the stage to take their bows. Holbrooke and Chariot smiled at each of them proudly, and it was a rewarding sight. The cast thanked everyone present, and the roses they caught from the audience were enough to make a couple of bundles.

 

Amanda took the opportunity to reach out to Hannah. Eventually, their eyes met, and Amanda was surprised to see tears flowing down Hannah's cheeks. She was smiling, but to Amanda it was as if it was a forced smile. With a nod and a good wipe of her eyes, Hannah left for the backstage. Amanda was about to rush after her when she felt a hand on her shoulder—Constanze. The petite German was grinning at her proudly.

 

“You were a great son,” Constanze told her.

 

“Well, I sure am lucky you're not my father for realsies,” Amanda quipped.

 

The two shared a laugh after that. Jasminka called them and extended an invitation from Akko—she had immediately set up an afterparty. While at the party, Wangari resumed her duties as the campus journalist and began her interviews. Since Amanda was the popular girl of the night, Wangari approached her first. Amanda answered the journalist’s questions as if she had prepared for them, but one got her thinking on the spot.

 

“You have a lot of admirers, but have you admired someone yourself?” Wangari readied her wand to record Amanda's answer.

 

Amanda thought for a bit, and flashes of auburn hair, barely visible fangs, and olive green eyes made their way into her mind's eye. As much as it surprised her, she had to at least give Wangari an answer. She took a sip from her soda and subtly shifted her gaze at Hannah's direction.

 

“Admiring someone, huh? I guess I could say yes to that.”

 

Wangari raised an eyebrow. “I wonder who the lucky girl is. Care to give me a clue?”

 

Amanda smirked. “You really wanna know, huh?"

 

“You can trust me with your answer,” Wangari said with a wink.

 

Amanda crossed her arms. “Well, let's just say that she hadn't caught my attention until just recently…probably around the time the Red and Green Teams started hanging out with the Blue Team.”

 

“Oh, interesting. She can either be from the Red or Blue Teams, I presume?”

 

Amanda kept herself from flinching completely and shifted her balance. “That’ll be a secret for now.”

 

Wangari expressed her disappointment at Amanda's answer, but she thanked the redhead nonetheless, saying that all good answers will come in the right time. With that, Wangari proceeded to interview the rest of the cast.

 

The curfew was temporarily lifted for the afterparty. The headmistress and a few of the faculty joined in on the fun but left early to prepare for tomorrow. They gave the girls a reminder not to stay up too late lest they suffer the consequences the next day. It was a jovial and peaceful night for the girls from that point on.

 

But it was all hanging by a thread.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...Yep. Chaotic.


	11. Consequences

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction."

Although the morning classes had rejuvenated Hannah to some extent, they did not fully ward off thoughts of Amanda from her head. She realized that it would be difficult to let go of her feelings for the redhead in one swoop. There was also the problem of the rumors of her motives behind the kiss circulating around the academy. While it was, in a way, factual, the manner the rumor was propagated was laced with malice and disapproval. Hannah was sharp enough to immediately spot these things, but not strong enough to handle them. This sent her into a fit of anxiety that had slowly seeped in and affected her daily routines.

  
“Hannah.”

  
She was with her teammates at the dining hall. The Red and Green teams were on cleaning duty after potions class, so they were unable to join. At this time, Barbara noticed that Hannah seemed to be uneasy, so she reached out to check on her. Hannah was pulled out of her thoughts when Barbara asked her what the matter was.

 

“Nothing to worry about, Barb,” Hannah told her with a wave of her hand. “I just have a lot on my mind, that's all.”

 

Diana calmly ate her snack, but the occasional pointed glances and whispers from several girls did not escape her notice. She suggested taking their meals at the courtyard, saying that the dining hall seemed to feel stuffy. At the courtyard, Diana took note of the relief washing over Hannah’s face and decided to keep her thoughts to herself and observe.

 

Diana knew of the consequences that came with the unexpected kiss. Amanda was the stuff of dreams for a good number of girls in the academy, and now that someone else had gotten too close to Amanda—so awfully close that she had kissed her—they found themselves facing a new threat. Hannah was now a target. Diana isn't happy with how things were turning out, but it was a shift that was within her expectations.

 

As to why Hannah did what she did, Diana now had a partly-solid deduction. She didn't like it at first since the other party involved was O'Neill, who was known for her rather…questionable playfulness. Then she remembered that her relationship with Akko was unconventional at best, and this changed her mind. After all, who was she to question Hannah and her choices? This proved to be a learning experience for the young Cavendish.

 

With that in mind, Diana vowed to help Hannah in any way she can and protect her when things go awry. Who else would rush to Hannah's aid if not her and Barbara? Now it was up to Hannah if she wants to come clean and spill the beans on matters involving O'Neill.

 

However, it looked like Hannah wanted to be mum about the whole thing, which was becoming a hazard to herself. This alarmed Diana and prompted her to give a subtle push—just as Hannah did when Diana was too chicken to confess to Akko.

 

“It seemed as if your unease had been bugging you since our morning classes,” Diana said.

 

“I just got up on the wrong side of the bed,” Hannah reasoned.

 

The bell for the next classes tolled throughout the academy. The girls stood up from the grass to make their way to class. Hannah had second thoughts, though.

 

“Girls, I don't think I can attend class at this hour,” Hannah declared.

 

Diana and Barbara understood why Hannah wanted to skip, so they assured her that they will inform their professor and told her to get some rest. The three went their own separate ways after that.

 

When Diana and Barbara walked in the lecture hall, some of the girls were quick to notice that they were one member short. No one commented about it, nor asked Diana and Barbara. Once they were dismissed, Diana and Barbara quickly set off for the next class. As they walked, they shared their thoughts on Hannah's situation.

 

“There are rumors that Hannah had ulterior motives with the kiss,” Barbara said. “But I think calling the motive ‘ulterior’ is too strong.” She mulled on her words for a moment. “Hey, do you think Hannah likes Amanda?”

 

Diana’s ears perked at the question. _Barbara also has her suspicions_. “You think so?”

 

“Hannah's not one to just kiss somebody, especially if she doesn’t have feelings for them in the first place. Even if it's Amanda O'Neill, whom she's friendly with.”

 

“True,” Diana agreed. “Another thing, why bother diverting from the script? There was no need for her to do that in the first place.”

 

Barbara hummed. “Perhaps…”

 

Diana sighed. “…there’s something that Hannah's hiding from us.”

 

“Will she tell us about it, though?”

 

“That is her decision to make. As for us, we have to deal with the girls who may have been upset with Hannah.”

 

“This is a rather dire situation,” Barbara said. “I fear that things will turn out even worse in the long run, and it would put Hannah in jeopardy.”

 

They were now at the door of the next lecture hall. Barbara asked one last question before they walked in.

 

“What about Amanda?”

 

Diana frowned and gripped the knob tightly.

 

“Frankly, I have no idea,” she told Barbara, then she pushed open the door.

 

\---

 

Amanda had been met with flocks of students since the day after the play. Her portrayal of Romeo garnered her new admirers, which was rather expected. In the midst of all the accolades and the well-wishes, Amanda found it all to be tiring and nothing more than a nuisance. She would have loved the attention, but at that moment she could only elicit lukewarm responses to it.

 

_Hannah_. Now there was another problem. Since the play ended, Amanda noticed that Hannah was keeping a significant amount of distance from her. While her interactions with the other girls within their circle was nothing short of the usual, Hannah seemed to have grown colder towards Amanda. It felt like a friendship gone sour.

 

_Did I do something wrong?_ Amanda asked herself.

 

She stormed off to her favorite perch at the tower one day in an attempt to fend off her frustrations. As she sat facing the direction of Blytonbury, she was reminded of the afternoon she spent with Hannah and the first time she invited her for a movie night. With this, a peculiar tug manifested itself in Amanda's chest, which perplexed and bothered her greatly.

 

_Hell, everything’s a bother lately_ , she thought.

 

Her musings then went to the play. Now that she had played her part, her grades would surely recover and reach at least the average passing marks—just enough to keep her in Luna Nova. She happily reminisced on the rehearsals, especially “Mama Lotte” and how she had handled them since day one. Lotte's gentle nature proved to be an advantage in maintaining order, something that reminded Amanda of her grandmother. While the play proved to be a chore, it was in its own way amusing and worthwhile. If given the choice, however, Amanda would have taken on another role.

 

Without meaning to, thoughts of Hannah during the play wandered into her mind. Amanda couldn't forget how Hannah shone brightly on the stage, the spotlight beaming down on her in the most perfect way she could imagine. When they danced, Amanda was utterly stunned that all she said aside from her lines was a weak and overused compliment.

 

Then there was the kiss—that damn kiss!

 

Amanda had to admit, of all the kisses she ever had, the one that bested them all was the one she didn't steal. It bruised her pride a bit.

 

Hannah England, a refined dame from the upper echelons of British society, actually touched lips with a rowdy Texan who knew nothing of centuries-old traditions and nobility and didn't give a damn about rules. Surely Hannah would think not only twice but ten times over before doing it. But at that time, it was as if Hannah had solidly set her mind to kiss Amanda without any hesitations.

 

Her fingers gently reached her lips, recalling how it felt when Hannah bent down and kissed her. How surprisingly gentle Hannah's hands were as she caressed her face. How soft Hannah's lips were as they touched her own.

 

And how she felt a sharp jolt of longing and disappointment when the kiss ended not long after it had begun.

 

This prompted a question in her head. Why go against the script? Amanda expected Hannah to just perform what had been rehearsed, and boy did she get the surprise of her life when Hannah did otherwise. Surely there was a reason for that.

 

Akko was doing her flying drills when she spotted Amanda on her perch at the tower. She landed the broom close by and joined the Texan.

 

“You’re by yourself again,” Akko greeted. “Hiding from your fans?”

 

Amanda chuckled. “You could say that.”

 

“Hoh, playing the elusive celebrity card, huh?”

 

“I just need to breathe, that's all.”

 

There were no further words shared between the two for a while. Akko then broke the silence with a question.

 

“So, how was it?”

 

“How was what?” Amanda asked back.

 

“When Hannah kissed you for real,” Akko answered with a shrug.

 

Amanda fumbled for a bit, as she was growing conscious of the heat creeping to her cheeks at the memory of Hannah's kiss.

 

“A shocker,” Amanda said, looking away.

 

“Your ears are turning red, O’Neill.” Akko's eyes widened. “Hey…don’t tell me…you liked it?”

 

Amanda lost it. “It’s not like that!” she retorted. “Look, Akko, really I—it's not like that at all!”

 

Akko was smug. Seeing the redhead in a mess was a satisfying victory, but it was clear to her that there was something else that distressed Amanda. With that, Akko calmed Amanda down with a hand on her shoulder.

 

“Hey, easy now,” Akko told her. “I’m not gonna judge you or anything.”

 

“You make it seem like I’m bad for liking it.”

 

“So you did like it.”

 

“Akko, I—” Amanda realized that denial was futile, and she sighed in defeat. “I kinda liked it, okay? Emphasis on ‘kinda’.”

 

“Who wouldn’t?” Akko said. “I won’t count myself in, though. I’ve never dreamed of it.”

 

Amanda laughed. “I can see that. You’ve always had your eyes on Diana.”

 

Akko shrugged. “Can’t be helped.”

 

The two were quiet once again. This time, it was Amanda who spoke up.

 

“Hannah,” she said.

 

“What about her?” Akko asked.

 

“She’s been...weird lately.”

 

“Weird...how?”

 

Amanda scratched her head and began recounting the movie nights, the play, and how Hannah had been acting recently. Akko listened intently.

 

“It’s all so strange,” Amanda concluded. “And that kiss. Why would she do that?”

 

“Maybe she wanted to end the play with a bang?” Akko guessed with a chuckle. “Look, why are you even thinking too much on that?”

 

“I don’t think that’s all there is to it.”

 

Akko breathed out in exasperation. “What else do you want to glean from this? Is Hannah’s flair for the bombastic not good enough of a reason for you?”

 

“Well, I guess it is, but...” Amanda shook her head. “I can’t help but think that there’s something she’s not telling me.”

 

Akko shifted in her seat. _Oh boy, I think there is._  
“What, you think she likes you or something?” Akko asked.

 

Amanda scoffed. “No way. She wouldn’t even dream of it. She told me herself.”

 

Akko noticed the shift in tone from Amanda’s answer, as if she had been rejected. She decided to probe further.

 

“When was this?” Akko asked.

 

“During one of our breaks from our rehearsals,” Amanda answered dismissively. “We were joking around and it just came out.”

 

“I see.” Interesting.

 

“I don’t know what to think anymore,” Amanda sighed.

 

Akko huffed, feigning impatience. “Why do you even bother thinking about it in the first place? You sound like you’re getting way too interested in Hannah yourself.”

 

“No, I’m not.”

 

“Then why brood over it?”

 

Amanda tousled her hair in frustration. “I don’t know, okay?” she blurted out.

 

Amanda’s outburst echoed throughout the tower, yet Akko was unfazed. She knew Amanda was out of sorts and that Hannah was a part of it. Amanda hunched down, looking as if she lost all hope of clearing things out.

 

“She’s been cold with me ever since the play ended,” Amanda said as she rested her head on her hand. “It’s like I did something wrong. I wanna know what it is so I can set it right.”

 

“Amanda.”

 

“What?”

 

Akko stood up and smiled down on her friend. “It’s gonna be okay. Sure, it all looks like a tangled mess now, but it will unravel in the right time and everything will be clear.”

 

Akko picked up her broom. “Look, just keep this in mind—follow your heart and your instincts. They’ll never betray you.”

 

Akko left ahead of Amanda since she was set to meet with Diana for their study session. Amanda watched as Akko flew away from the tower and chuckled to herself. Akko had changed, but it was a welcome one. Amanda eventually left the tower as well and headed back to their quarters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this is the point where I started messing up in my writing.


	12. Discussions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The rest of the three teams begin to talk about the gravity of Hannah's situation.

Constanze and Jasminka were at the corridor when they crossed paths with Diana and Barbara. The four of them were silent, their glances at each other speaking for them. Diana sighed.

 

“We need to talk,” Diana said.

 

“Indeed,” Constanze agreed.

 

They headed to the common room and decided to hold their discussion there after ensuring that no one was nearby to eavesdrop. Constanze rested on an old armchair frowning in deep thought, while Jasminka had her hand on her shoulder in assurance. Diana sat on a couch across the two while Barbara settled on the windowsill.

 

“We have a predicament,” Diana said.

 

“Yes, so it seems,” Constanze said. “How is Hannah?”

 

Diana shook her head. “Distraught. She’s been out of sorts since the day after the play.”

 

“Those damned girls and their gossip,” Constanze fumed. “Amanda wasn’t theirs to begin with, yet they act as if she’s reserved for them alone.”

 

“I see you have heard of the rumors,” Diana said.

 

“We’ve noticed the glares as well,” Jasminka added.

 

Diana sighed. “It can’t be helped that Amanda had amassed a good number of admirers, but their attitude is heavily affecting our friend. What do you propose to do about this situation?”

 

“Truth be told, I can’t think of anything _we_ can do,” Constanze replied as she rubbed her temple. “The way I see it, the only thing that can stop this is if Amanda and Hannah themselves rectify the situation. This one is completely out of our hands, but it’s not to say that it is out of theirs.”

 

“Have you observed anything about Amanda and Hannah during their interactions?” Barbara asked.

 

“Well, they have a rather...energetic banter,” Jasminka responded. “It may look like they can’t stand each other, but it’s not really the case.”

 

“Well, that can pass off as entirely platonic,” Barbara said.

 

“You think there’s a romantic angle to it?” Diana asked.

 

“Just checking the possibilities,” Barbara said.

 

Constanze scratched her chin in thought. “Amanda didn’t show any signs of having interest in Hannah. But it may have escaped our notice.”

 

“The play,” Diana said. “That’s where the trouble started. We all know what Hannah did. As to why, we don’t have any solid deductions for that. We haven’t talked to her properly about that yet.”

 

“Something had just come to mind,” Constanze said.

 

“What is it?” Diana asked.

 

“Akko had a photo of Amanda in a suit, taken for a classmate,” Constanze said. “Your girlfriend told us that Hannah saw it and demanded to know who it was. Akko told her it was Amanda, and then Hannah took the photo from her and said that she’ll throw it away.”

 

“It wasn’t thrown away,” Diana said. “She still has it.”

 

Constanze and Jasminka looked at each other, then back to Diana. It was a new development for them. Barbara was surprised as well, but she kept herself in check and listened attentively.

 

“I see,” Constanze said. “So, you have your suspicions that Hannah may have an interest for our teammate.”

 

“Yes, but as to the extent of that interest, we have yet to find out,” Diana said. “Perhaps, it may also be the reason for her unexpected act in the play’s finale.”

 

Constanze grunted. “This is bad.”

 

“Why so?” Barbara asked.

 

“Amanda doesn’t seem to notice anything,” Constanze said. “Poor Hannah...the distress she’s in...it’s jarring.”

 

Jasminka stepped forward. “I would like to apologize on Amanda’s behalf,” she said.

 

“Jasminka, there is no need,” Diana said. “No one is at fault here. The circumstances were only unfortunate.”

 

“Still, Amanda’s obliviousness had caused Hannah a great deal of strife,” Jasminka told her.

 

“It’s because the message was not sent clearly,” Diana said.

 

“What do you mean?” Constanze asked.

 

“Hannah had been sending signals,” Diana said. “Remember the rehearsals?”

 

Constanze’s face lit up upon remembering her own observations. “Ah, yes. Oh, and the balcony scene...Lotte was worried about the improvisations,” she said. “Turns out it was all a one-sided game of ‘pass the message’.”

 

“Hannah may have used the play to convey her feelings,” Diana said. “And the kiss...”

 

“...Was a confession,” Constanze finished, wide-eyed. “Sweet mother of...this is a mess.”

 

There was a knock, and Akko’s head popped in from the now open door.

 

“Sorry I’m late,” she said as she walked in. She smiled at Diana. “ _Cara Mia_.”

 

Diana’s lips curled into a small smile. “ _Mon Cher_.”

 

“And I am the walrus, goo goo g'joob,” Barbara said, rolling her eyes at the two.

 

“You guys talking about Hannah and Amanda now, eh?” Akko asked.

 

“Yeah, we were,” Constanze said. “You have something in mind?”

 

“I talked with Amanda yesterday,” Akko said. “She’s been brooding too much over Hannah.”

 

The four other girls looked at Akko as if she discovered how to legitimately create the philosopher’s stone. Akko wondered why her friends and her girlfriend were bewildered at her.

 

“What?” Akko asked. “Is there something on my face?”

 

“You said Amanda was...brooding too much over Hannah,” Diana said. “Could you elaborate on that?”

 

Akko told them of her talk with Amanda from the other day. When she finished, the four girls were silent.

 

“What do you think, Constanze?” Diana asked soon after.

 

Constanze was still mulling on Akko’s story. Then she let out a sigh.

 

“I don’t want to force my hand on this,” Constanze said. “I think it would be best if Amanda sorts her own feelings first. Amanda has played around for so long she’s become a complete idiot when it comes to things like this. In the meantime, we should work on keeping Hannah away from Amanda’s rabid fangirls.”

 

Diana laughed softly. “I see your point. I’ll have Akko and her team help us when things go south.”

 

Akko turned to Diana. “Why? What’s gonna ‘go south’?”

 

“Some girls seemed to have become upset with Hannah’s kiss,” Diana explained. “It’s a volatile situation, and we need help.”

 

Akko held Diana’s hand and kissed it. “You didn’t have to ask, _Cara Mia_.”

 

Barbara clicked her tongue. “Get a room, for fuck’s sake.”

 

\---

  
Amanda was doing tricks on her drone at the courtyard, and a small group of girls had gathered to watch—it’s Amanda, after all. Lotte and Sucy appeared from the main building and approached the small crowd.

  
“O’Neill, can you spare us a moment?” Lotte called, her tone stern.

  
Amanda’s ears perked. Lotte would only call Amanda by her surname when it’s serious, so she immediately ended the trick show and let the crowd disperse. Amanda ran over to her friends.

  
“What’s the fuss?” Amanda asked, her tone laced with worry.

  
It was Sucy who answered. “Wanna join us for dinner?”

  
The three were later in the dining hall, settled on a table close to the window. Amanda waited for her friends to talk, but they were focused on eating their meals. As soon as Amanda was about to speak, Lotte beat her to the punch.

  
“Diana told me some girls were sending mean looks at Hannah and spreading rumors about her,” Lotte said.

  
Amanda became worried. “What for?”

  
“I’ll give you a clue, American,” Sucy said. “ _Romeo and Juliet_.”

  
Amanda was quiet for a moment, then she realized what Sucy had implied. “No way.”

  
“Yes, way,” the Filipino growled. “And it’s getting on our nerves lately. You haven’t noticed that?”

  
“I...I have no idea,” Amanda muttered.

  
“We can’t blame you, you’re too muddled in your own monkey business to even bother,” Sucy snarled.

  
Amanda sat straight up. “Hey, I’m not—”

  
“We have nothing against your gaggle of girls, O’Neill,” Sucy continued. “But this is getting out of hand. This attitude of theirs is not okay, and you know that.”

  
Amanda sighed. “Sucy, I don’t even know why Hannah did that. What am I gonna tell those girls?”

  
“Think, O'Neill. Talk to Hannah, talk to them,” Sucy said. “I don’t give a damn how you’re gonna do it, just get at it.”

  
Amanda frowned. “You say that as if there’s something wrong with Hannah.”

  
Lotte and Sucy were quiet. Amanda now knew that something was up with Hannah, and her worries grew.

  
“Sucy,” Amanda called. “What’s up with Hannah?”

  
Sucy mulled on her words, then she sighed in resignation. “Hannah’s been skipping classes. Barbara told me she’s been out of sorts. We later found out that it’s due to the rumor that’s been going around. Apparently, it stemmed from your admirers, since they see Hannah as a threat.”

  
“A threat? Why in blazes would they think that? What was the rumor about?”

  
Lotte and Sucy were silent. Amanda pressed them for answers until Lotte spoke up.

  
“It is not our place to answer that, Amanda,” Lotte said.

  
“But why?” Amanda asked. “You’ve been spilling the beans, why stop at that?”

  
“Like Lotte said, it's not for us to tell you,” Sucy growled. “The point here is, Hannah's in trouble, and you have to help her.”

  
Amanda leaned back into her seat, aghast at how her friend had been after the play. There she was, brooding over unnecessary thoughts while Hannah was facing bigger ones on her own.

  
_Confusing feelings be damned, I have to do something_ , Amanda thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The idea of the rest of the three teams seriously discussing about anything in Luna Nova's walls somewhat appealed to me, especially when the topic at hand is about certain romantic pursuits within their circle.
> 
> Also, the Addams Family reference was something I put in for comedic effect. I was thinking what pet names would Akko and Diana have for each other at that moment in the common room, then Gomez and Morticia Addams popped in my head.


	13. Escalation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> es·ca·la·tion /ˌeskəˈlāSH(ə)n/  
> \- an increase in the intensity or seriousness of something; an intensification.

The rumor still circulated around the campus, and it was weighing heavily on Hannah. While she maintained her stellar academic performance, she could barely keep her emotions in check. Never a day passed without her excusing herself to the washroom in a desperate attempt to ease herself of her burden. She would cry, then, using a quick spell, she would remove traces of her tears from her face and return to class as if nothing happened.

  
As much as Amanda wanted to talk with her, Hannah would openly avoid her and hide away in the Blue Team's quarters until it was time for the next class. It made Amanda's worries flare up even more, and talking to Hannah had turned into a do-or-die goal for the redhead.

  
The rest of the three teams dutifully tried their best to tame the situation. Whenever any of them would hear mentions of the rumor, they would immediately shoot it down with confirmations of their own, which were fabricated at most. While this would hush things down, it would only last a bit and the rumor would propagate itself again.

  
Knowing that her so-called admirers were a huge part of the trouble, Amanda would avoid running into them whenever she can and seek solace in her favorite perch at the tower. There she would rack her head for ideas on how to settle things with Hannah and help her on dealing with her problems.  
When she returned to their room later in the day, Amanda caught sight of her drone at her desk. An idea popped in her head and she knew what she had to do.

  
\---

  
Hannah was in their quarters one late afternoon when she heard a knock on the window. She ignored it at first, thinking that a bird may have perched close to the window. The knock came again, and this time it was persistent. Hannah stood from her desk in irritation and opened the window to see who was making noise. To her surprise, Amanda’s drone was steadily levitating in front of her, and attached to it was a note.

  
“LOOK OUT THE WINDOW” was written on the note. Hannah carefully peeked out the window and was dumbfounded to see Amanda on her broom with a remote control in her hand. Amanda was grinning at her and Hannah feared she might faint if she doesn’t speak.

  
“What is this about, O’Neill?” Hannah asked. “You could have knocked on the door instead.”

  
“Nah, I very much prefer this over thumping my knuckles on your hardwood door,” Amanda said.

  
“What are you doing here?”

  
Amanda drifted closer to Hannah. “Fly with me.”

  
Hannah took a step back. “What?”

  
Amanda sighed. “I said, fly with me. Damn, England, have your ears checked.”

  
“Why?”

  
Amanda paused, then she snickered. Hannah was perturbed by what was currently happening, and it bothered her to some extent.

  
“Amanda, cut it out.”

  
“Look, Hannah, you wanna fly with me or not?” She extended her hand. “I want to talk to you.”

  
Hannah swallowed. “We can talk here.”

  
Amanda shook her head. “Walls have ears, and besides, there’s somewhere I wanna take you to. How about it?”

  
Hannah looked down on Amanda’s outstretched hand, then she looked up at Amanda and sighed wearily.

  
“Let me get my broom,” Hannah said.

  
The two were off in a jiffy. Amanda led the way and they soon landed on an open field with a view of Blytonbury and the gateway to Luna Nova.

  
“So, where are we?” Hannah asked.

  
“One of my favorite places to be,” Amanda replied, her smile as bright as day.

  
They sat down on the grass and took in the view in front of them. Amanda then turned to Hannah who was sitting within an arm’s reach from her. The orange glow from the setting sun shone on Hannah in such a way that Amanda couldn’t help but stare at her. It was a sight she deemed she’d never tire of seeing. When she looked closely, however, she could see the tired eyes and the forlorn expression on Hannah’s face. Amanda’s worries fired up once more, so she decided to start talking.

  
“I heard you’ve been skipping classes,” Amanda said. “Sucy told me yesterday.”

  
Hannah paused, then she scoffed. “Your habits must have rubbed off on me.”

  
“Hey, I don’t do it all the time so you can’t exactly call it a habit.” Amanda frowned. “But really, why are you skipping?”

  
Hannah pulled her knees closer to her chest. “I can’t say.”

  
Amanda rubbed her neck. “Well, you can tell me, at least. I’ll listen.”

  
Hannah sighed. “I can’t really say.”

  
Amanda frowned. She didn’t want to throw down, but she had to help Hannah. With that, she breathed out.

  
“Is it about the rumors?” she asked.

  
“Amanda, how did you—”

  
“That’s another thing Sucy told me.” Amanda leaned over. “Hannah, why haven’t you talked to me about this? In fact, why haven’t you talked to me at all since after the play?”

  
“What’s there to talk about, Amanda? Don’t tell me you can’t move on from a kiss?”

  
Amanda let go of her reins. “What if I tell you ‘yes’? That your kiss is still in my mind? That I can still feel remnants of it on my lips?”

  
Hannah was shocked at Amanda’s words. “What are you talking about?”

  
“Look, you’ve been very weird for the past several weeks,” Amanda began. “First, that thing about me not having to know whatever it was that you know. Then there’s the kiss, and the tears flowing down your cheeks when the play ended. After the play, you acted as if we weren’t even friends. Now I’m hearing stuff about you skipping classes and some girls spreading rumors and looking at you like you did something heinous. Hannah, what’s wrong? Is it my fault?”

  
“No!” Hannah blurted out. She realized her tone rose higher than it should and calmed herself down. “No, it’s not your fault, Amanda. The girls...they were acting that way because of what I did in the play.”

  
“Well, they have no right getting angry at you for such a trivial thing. You were only acting at the time, right?"

  
Hannah shook her head, much to Amanda’s bewilderment. “That’s the thing, Amanda. I wasn’t acting.”

  
Amanda sat up. “Wait, what? What do you mean you weren’t acting?”

  
Hannah was quiet, and the answer was slowly dawning on Amanda. When it did, she wasn’t entirely ready for it.

  
“So, when you kissed me,” Amanda said slowly. “It was for real...that means...”

  
Hannah was still silent, and it proved to be good enough of an answer for Amanda. It was a lot to unpack, and Amanda was rendered speechless. She then felt as if there was something within her that lit up, and she couldn’t tell if it was elation or something else. All she knew was that it wasn’t a bad feeling.

  
Meanwhile, Hannah was on the verge of going hysterical. She realized that she had, in a way, confessed to Amanda. She thought it was done at the wrong time, and her mind raced. Seeing Amanda’s dumbfounded face heightened her anxieties, and she expected Amanda to laugh at her—or worse, ostracize her.

  
Hannah hastily stood up. “I’m gonna go back ahead of you,” she said. “Thanks for the trip.”

  
Hannah left before Amanda could say anything.

  
\---

  
The next day, Hannah joined her teammates in their classes which went by without any trouble, save for the glances and whispers from a handful of girls. Diana and Barbara fended them off with hard glares of their own. Amanda had been in the same room as her, and Hannah did her best to act civil so as not to trigger more whispers. Once they have returned to their room, Hannah asked her teammates if she can have a word with them.

  
"What is it?" Barbara asked.

  
Hannah nervously rubbed her arm. "It's...a rather heavy topic, so to speak," she replied.

  
"Barbara, help me make tea," Diana said as she put her books down. "I can tell that this will be a very important talk."

  
"Right away." Barbara headed to the counter.

  
"Just wait for us a bit more, Hannah dear," Diana said with a gentle smile.

  
Hannah nodded somberly and watched as her teammates prepared tea and snacks for the three of them. They were soon gathered at the coffee table.

  
"So, what is it that you want to talk to us about?" Diana asked.

  
“I may have upset a lot of people because of what I did at the play,” Hannah began.

  
Diana shifted in her seat. “There have been whispers as to why you did it.”

  
“They say that you are harboring affections towards Amanda and that you have abused your role as Juliet,” Barbara added.

  
“Now, I may not be one to take interest in such useless matters, but seeing as it is becoming a problem, we have to get to the bottom of this and end those rumors once and for all,” Diana said. “Now tell me, Hannah, why did you divert from the script?”

  
Hannah fidgeted in her place, unsure of what she had to say. But seeing Diana looking at her with a stern look on her face, Hannah decided to spill the beans and leave it all to Providence.

  
"The kiss,” Hannah began. “I did it because I have a crush on Amanda and I want to let it all go.”

  
The room was blanketed with a complete silence for a moment. Hannah felt as if she had brought the greatest disgrace on her friends, and she began thinking if coming clean was a good idea at all. The blank look on their faces did not assuage her anxieties, not one bit.

  
"Oh, the horror!" Hannah blurted out as she covered her face out of sheer embarrassment and distress. "I am so sorry! Truly, I am!"

  
Silence still permeated the room, and Hannah was certain that she had messed up. A hand on her shoulder then prompted her to look up, and she was met with perhaps one of the gentlest eyes she had ever seen.

  
"Hannah, there is no need to apologize," Diana told her with a smile.

  
"Barbara?" Hannah called out.

  
Barbara shrugged and there was also a hint of a smile on her face. “We had our suspicions.”

  
"You're not mad?" Hannah asked, perplexed.

  
Diana chuckled. "Hannah dear, why would we be mad at you?"

  
"Well, it's Amanda we're talking about here," Hannah elaborated. "I expect you to be vehemently against it."

  
Diana nodded, understanding Hannah's point. "We have our concerns, yes. But I assure you, Hannah, there is nothing wrong with what you're feeling right now."

  
"So...this person you once said that you liked...is actually Amanda?" Barbara inquired.

  
"Yes."

  
"How long?" Diana asked.

  
"I think it was...not long after our teams started hanging out together."

  
Diana nodded. "And the photograph somehow added fuel to the flames.”

  
Hannah was taken aback. "D-Diana! How did you--"

  
Diana cleared her throat. "I saw it in your hand when I found you sleeping on your desk one night. You weren’t exactly careful.”

  
"Now that the cat’s out of the goddamn bag, what do you want to do?” Barbara asked.

  
"I...I can’t say," Hannah began.

  
“Pray tell,” Diana urged.

  
"Amanda isn't the type of person who's completely serious,” Hannah continued. “She's well-known to toy with other girls here in school. It somewhat breaks me whenever I think that if I let my feelings be known, I would be just another toy for her to play with. That's why I try really hard to keep them at bay. But I couldn’t take it anymore...it was a losing fight. At the final scene of the play, I decided to start letting go. That kiss was meant to be my confession and farewell at the same time. Now I’m starting to think that I might have made the wrong move. It seems as if my efforts were all for naught. Then there’s the thing with the upset girls and the rumors. I don’t think I can avoid them much longer, and I am greatly terrified. In truth, I want to keep these feelings, but it hurts so much.”

  
"Oh, Hannah," was all Barbara could only say.

  
Diana was silent for a moment, then she poised herself to speak.

  
"I will not hesitate to put all matters into my own hands for your sake," she said, her tone tight and stern. “Anyone who would dare lay a finger on you or say anything that can further hurt you will have to answer to me."

  
"Diana, there is no need," Hannah said. "I can handle this on my own."

  
"I highly doubt it. But if that's what you insist, I'll be a step behind." Diana sighed. "Hannah, your feelings are genuine at best. It doesn't deserve to be played with, not by anyone, not even Amanda.”

  
“There is one other thing I haven't told you yet,” Hannah said.

  
“What is it?” Diana asked.

  
“Amanda knows now,” Hannah answered sheepishly.

  
This backpedaled both girls, and they were utterly shocked by the news.

  
“H-how did this happen?” Barbara asked.

  
Hannah told them what happened at the open field.

  
“As much as I…love that hard-headed American…I can't help but think that she might just end up hurting me, now that she knows about my feelings,” Hannah concluded.

  
"So what then? What do we do now?" Barbara asked later on. “Now we know that Hannah indeed has feelings for Amanda, and that Amanda knows all about it, do we have a plan?”

  
"Nothing," Diana told her. "Tomorrow may bring us something to work with, but for now, we should rest.”

  
Diana turned to Hannah. "Be at ease, Hannah dear. You have us by your side."

  
“Hey, don’t give up just yet,” Barbara told her. “The game hasn’t even started. Kinda reminds me of Chapter 25 when Edgar—”

  
“Now, now, Barbara, let’s not get carried away,” Diana said. “Hannah, I’m certain you got the point.”

  
"You know, it would be crazy of Amanda to let someone like Hannah get away," Barbara said.

  
"I recall hearing a statement of the same caliber when you two encouraged me on confessing to Akko," Diana told Barbara.

  
"It's comes out naturally," Barbara said. "Because I know you two are worthy of the best."

  
Diana smirked. “The best...do you mean to say that Akko is included?"

  
Barbara shrugged. "Well, I have to admit, Diana, Akko made me realize that there is more to people than what meets the eye. I'll leave it at that."

  
Diana laughed. "Oh Barbara, ever the jester."

  
“Girls, I can never thank you enough," Hannah said, rubbing a tear from her eye.

  
Diana moved over to Hannah and hugged her. Barbara joined in, and Hannah finally let the tears flow.

  
\---

  
Constanze opened the door to their room and was surprised to find Amanda slumped at her desk. Amanda had been oddly somber and out of sorts since last night. She was also unreachable the next day, showing up to them only during classes. There was a bewildered look on the redhead's face, and Constanze almost thought she had been hexed until she spoke up.

  
“I talked to Hannah,” Amanda said.

  
Constanze, sensing that the topic was of somewhat considerable weight, immediately closed the door and settled on her bed, ready to listen.

  
“About what?” Constanze asked.

  
Amanda fumbled for a bit as she ran her hand repeatedly through her hair. She then looked to the air as if searching for the right words to say. When she finished fidgeting, she let out a heavy sigh.

  
“I asked her why she was skipping classes, and when she was getting dodgy about it, I pitched in that it might be because of the rumors that had been going around, even though I don't know jack shit about it.”

  
Constanze was about to say what a blockhead Amanda was, but she held her tongue.

  
“I asked her if it was my fault—I have a feeling it was, truth be told—but she said it wasn't. Then she went on about why the others were whispering and looking at her funny, that it was because she kissed me on that stage. And then…”

  
Constanze froze. _Oh, hell._ “Then what?”

  
“I…I told her those girls had no right doing what they did because the kiss wasn't for real. Then Hannah…she told me she wasn't acting that time.”

  
Constanze nodded thoughtfully, but she was frowning.

  
_Verdammt. Hannah's gone and done it._

  
“Then it dawned on me, Cons. Hannah was…crikes, it sure got my head spinning.”

  
Constanze hummed. “She likes you, hell, she's probably in love with you.”

  
Amanda chuckled. “It’s crazy. Everything’s crazy. She hasn't even talked to me after that. It's like I was just some other nobody.”

  
Constanze scratched her chin. Hannah's reveal was unexpected, at least at that current point. It felt premature, but Constanze was thankful that it arrived when it did. Amanda now had a sense of what Hannah feels towards her, and it's up to the redhead to make the next move. But before that, Constanze had to test something out.

  
“How do you feel?” Constanze asked.

  
Amanda clutched at her chest. “Elated…and relieved, for some reason.”

  
Constanze stood up from her bed, letting out a sarcastic chuckle. “Of course, you're fucking elated. You've found yourself a new conquest. Now that Hannah England has completely fallen head over heels for you, how long is it going to be until you tire of her and seek someone new?”

  
Amanda flared. “What did you say?”

  
“You know how this goes, Texan. Position target in the center and pull the switch—the whole shebang. Once you've got your target, you move on to the next one.”

  
“You watch your mouth, Constanze,” Amanda threatened. “This is Hannah we're talking about.”

  
Constance smirked. “Hah, getting concerned about Hannah now, eh? What brought this on? Isn't she just one of your new toys?”

  
It all happened fast. Constanze now found herself inches above the floor and Amanda's hands were grabbing at her collar. There was an unmistakable flame of rage in the redhead's eyes, and her jaw was clenched as if trying to contain what little control she has left. Although painful, Constanze had to endure it for Amanda's sake. She decided to throw in more fuel to the fire.

  
“Why are you so worked up, Texan?” Constanze asked, her voice strained yet mocking. “It’s true, isn't it? It was only a matter of time until Hannah falls into your trap.”

  
“Shut up, German!”

  
Constanze forced out a smirk. “Those movie nights? They sure paid off, huh?”

  
“Enough of it, Constanze!”

  
“And those improvisations you did in the play, don't think I didn't catch on what you were trying to play.”

  
“You quit it now!”

  
“And that stunt you did—taking her to that open field…that was the ultimate trigger. It's all part of the plan, ain't it, Texan?”

  
“You’re fucking wrong!”

  
Amanda let Constanze go, and the petite German took a moment to regain her composure. As she stood weakly, she took note of the pained look on Amanda's face.

  
“It’s not like that, Constanze,” Amanda said in a strained tone. “Hannah’s different.”

  
“Different?”

  
“Hannah…she’s not like those other girls.”

  
“You always say that to every girl you toy with, _arschloch_.”

  
Amanda looked away, shaking. “No! She's…she's…”

  
“She’s what, American?” Constanze was close to screaming now.

  
“She’s important to me! More than anything else!”

  
Everything then felt as if a thick cloud of dust had cleared around them. The two girls were panting like they ran ten miles in one sprint. Amanda realized what she had blurted out, and it greatly surprised her. Constanze, on the other hand, was satisfied by how her test had turned out. The door then opened behind Constanze and in rushed Jasminka along with Akko and her team.

  
“We heard screaming,” Akko said. “What hap—oh.”

  
The sight of Constanze barely keeping herself upright and Amanda looking weary and angry at the same time gave the other girls the hint that the two were having a fight. Jasminka rushed over to Constanze and Akko walked over to Amanda.

  
“What did you do to Constanze?” Akko asked, her tone laced with apprehension.

  
“It was my fault,” Constanze spoke up.

  
“What?” Sucy asked. “The American just put up a scuffle with you, how is this your fault?”

  
“I had to make sure of something,” Constanze said. “I got my answer now.”

  
“Constanze, what do you mean?” Jasminka asked her.

  
Constanze turned to Amanda and smiled at her weakly. “Now, you have to prove that you're not all talk and no walk.”

  
Amanda looked down at Constanze for a moment, then she stormed out of the room. Akko was about to rush after her but Constanze stopped her.

  
“Let her be,” she told Akko. “She's on her own this time.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, so, I've decided to post the remaining handful of chapters in one sitting. I might be off the grid for a while.
> 
> (Btw, I placed in a little reference from Evangelion somewhere in the chapter as a homage of sorts since Yoh Yoshinari was one of its key animators.)


	14. What to Do, What to Do

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amanda doesn't know what to do next.

Amanda spent the next several days in solitude. She dodged crowds and went in and out of classes without stopping to greet anyone. She proved to be hard to find at times, only showing up during classes and before the lights are out. Jasminka and Constanze expressed their concerns during a meet-up with Diana and Barbara one sunny afternoon.

  
“If this behavior goes on, who knows when she’ll end up hiding in a place where we can’t really reach her?” Jasminka said. “If she ever gets into trouble, how are we going to get to her in time?”

  
“Sure, we get to see her in our quarters before lights out,” Constanze said. “But in the morning, she’d be up and gone before we can open our eyes.”

  
Diana frowned. “Has she ever talked to you during those times you get to see her?”

  
“Not much,” Constanze told her. “She’d usually tell us she’d be out, but not saying where. She’ll be with us for classes and meals, but after that, she’ll take off again and join us just before we get to bed.”

  
Diana closed her textbook and held Constanze’s hands. She assured Constanze that Amanda was merely trying to sort things out in her own way, and that the redhead would not endanger herself in doing so. After hearing of the incident at the Green Team’s quarters, Diana had surmised that Amanda was starting to change, albeit slowly.

  
“I’ll see if I can get her to talk to me at least,” Diana said.

  
“Gotta wish you luck on that,” Constanze said. “She’s a quick one. You’ll be lucky if you can grab her by the collar.”

  
“I’ll take my chances,” Diana said.

  
\---

  
Akko and Diana headed their own separate ways back to their quarters after spending an afternoon at the tower. As Diana made her way back to her room, she was surprised to see Amanda sitting on the roof close to the window of the Green Team’s quarters. Jasminka and Constanze were at the Red Team's quarters for their nightly game of UNO, so she had assumed that Amanda had tagged along as well. Diana shifted her broom towards Amanda.

  
“O’Neill, you do realize that you are in a dangerous position,” Diana said.

  
“And good evening to you, too, Cavendish,” Amanda said. “I’ve done this since the first term, I’m not stupid enough to let myself fall. You gonna tell on me?”

  
“I wouldn’t bother. What are you doing up there anyway?”

  
Amanda huffed. “Thinking, clearing my mind.”

  
_Let me set one card down._ “It’s Hannah, isn’t it?”

  
Amanda was startled. “Hannah? I ain’t—”

  
“It’s a guess, Amanda. No need to be worked up.” Diana crossed her arms, a knowing smile spread across her face. “So, you’re certainly thinking about Hannah, then?”

  
“No,” Amanda denied vehemently.

  
“Amanda, you’re lying.”

  
This sent Amanda into a fury. “So what if I am? What do you care?”

  
Diana glared icily at Amanda. “I happen to be Hannah’s friend, if that’s enough of an explanation. Whatever it is that concerns Hannah is also my concern, and looking at you, you are the kind of concern that needs to be dealt with immediately.”

  
“You don’t even have the slightest idea,” Amanda jeered.

  
“That’s where you’re wrong, O’Neill,” Diana said. “I know everything.” _Here's the second card._

  
Amanda stood up. “No, you don’t, Cavendish.”

  
“Let me tell you something, American,” Diana said, moving closer to Amanda. “I never trusted you whole-heartedly, even up until this moment.”

  
“Don’t tell me something I already know, Diana.”

  
“Let me finish, O’Neill.” Diana sent her another icy glare. “As much as I want Hannah to quit on you, I can't have that happen. It’s not my place, and I don’t have the right. So, I told myself I’ll help Hannah with whatever she’s going through that involves you, even at the cost of my comfort. What I think and feel towards Hannah’s choices is not important. What matters is that she is confident of these choices, and that she doesn’t feel bad for making them.”

  
“Where are you going with this? What do you want me to do?”

  
“You said she’s important to you. Show her how much she means to you. Unless...she’s just the same as those other girls you’ve been playing with.”

  
“You know it’s not like that.” Amanda shook her head in disbelief. “And how did you know—"

  
“Like I said, I know everything.” Diana geared to leave with her broom. “Hannah may be in love with you, but she has her doubts. Do something about that.”

  
Diana left Amanda after that. Amanda watched as Diana disappeared in the direction of her team’s quarters, and began pondering on the matter at hand.

  
\---

  
When Constanze and Jasminka returned from the Red Team's room, they found Amanda sitting at her desk, reading. Amanda, seeing that her roommates had arrived, closed her book and sat straight up.

  
“I wanna talk to you guys, can you spare me some time?” Amanda requested.

  
Constanze and Jasminka looked at each other, then back to Amanda.

  
“We’ve got all the time in the world,” Constanze said.

  
The two sat on Amanda’s bed, ready to listen. It had been days since the redhead last talked to them, so whatever Amanda wanted to say to them deserved their full attention.

  
“I have to apologize,” Amanda said.

  
“What for?” Constanze asked.

  
“Cons, I just manhandled you, I'm sure it hurt.”

  
Constanze laughed and rubbed her neck. “Hah, it sure did. Gave me a stiff neck for a while, I'm telling you.” She grinned at Amanda and sighed. “But it's all within my expectations.”

  
Amanda blinked. “Expectations?”

  
“Constanze was testing you,” Jasminka said.

  
“Testing me? For what?”

  
“To see what Hannah really means to you, _dummkopf_. Turns out, the whole ‘she’s important to me, more than anyone' line you blurted out is genuine and straight from the heart.”

  
“What if I was only pretending to mean it that way?”

  
Constanze chuckled. “You’re not that cruel, Texan. You may be a huge pain in the arse, but you've got a heart of gold.”

  
Amanda leaned back, a wave of relief washing over her for finally talking to her teammates.

  
“I…I don't know what to do,” Amanda said.

  
“What do you mean?” Constanze asked.

  
“I have to prove myself to Hannah,” Amanda told her. “But I don't know where to start. Hannah's a sharp girl and she knows what she wants. She can't settle for less.”

  
“Why don't you start with something light and simple?” Jasminka suggested. “Think of it as serving a full-course meal.”

  
Amanda perked up at that. “That sounds great.” Not long after, her shoulders drooped again. “But what exactly should I do?”

  
Constanze grunted. “Look, hotshot. We're not gonna coach you on this one. You have to figure this out on your own.”

  
Amanda slumped in her seat. She had to do a lot of thinking.

  
\---

  
Hannah finished her notes from the last lecture. As she tidied up her desk, she heard a knock on the door. Wondering who would be at the door in the late afternoon, Hannah rushed to open it.

  
Only to be given the surprise of her life when in front of her stood Amanda.

  
Hannah was about to put on a display of her snarky attitude when she noticed that Amanda seemed to be far from her usual self. Before she could say anything, Amanda cleared her throat.

  
“Constanze and Jasminka wanted to invite you and your team for a sleepover at our room,” Amanda said. “You guys up for it?”

  
“I’ll let them know about it once they're back from Professor DuNord's office,” Hannah told her.

  
Amanda didn’t seem to be content with Hannah’s response. “What about you, Hannah? Are you up for it?”

  
“What do you want to hear from me, Amanda?” Hannah asked with a sigh.

  
“N-nothing,” Amanda retracted. “I uh, I guess we'll know later.”

  
Amanda took off in a hurried fashion and Hannah stood by the door and watched her run.

  
Meanwhile, Amanda was chiding herself for asking such an off-hand question.

  
_Way to go, dumbass_ , she thought. _Real subtle._

  
She stopped at a corner to catch her breath. With the invitation now sent—directly to Hannah, nonetheless—all Amanda had to do was to come up with her next move.

  
\---

  
“A sleepover?” Constanze asked.

  
“I said what I said,” Amanda told her. “I gave Hannah and her team an invitation.”

  
“And you said that we're the ones who planned it,” Jasminka said. “Amanda, don't you think this is rushed?”

  
Amanda huffed. “It’s just a sleepover, there's nothing rushed about that.”

  
Constanze shrugged. “Well, the fat's in the fire. Jasminka, do we still have enough snacks for that?”

  
“Yeah, we do, actually,” Jasminka said. “I just didn't expect that we'll have a sleepover anytime soon.”

  
“There’s bound to be a movie to watch,” Constanze told Amanda. “Do you have anything in mind?”

  
Amanda pondered for a bit, then she snapped her fingers.

  
“I got just the thing.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boy, am I starting to worry.


	15. It's Crazy, It's Stupid...It's Love?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amanda makes her moves, Constanze regrets giving her advice, and everyone else watch it all unfold like a goddamn rom-com.

All three teams gathered at the Green Team's room for the sleepover. Akko brought her UNO cards while Lotte had a volume of Nightfall in hand to read with Barbara. The girls had their fun over the UNO cards, with Akko winning four games and Amanda coming in second with three.

  
Despite the seemingly jovial atmosphere in the room, there were tinges of tension in the air. Akko felt queasy about it, so she asked Constanze to put up tonight's movie.

  
“What do you have for us, Cons?” Barbara asked.

  
“Amanda picked the movie, told me it was a rom-com,” Constanze answered.

  
“A rom-com?” asked the rest of the girls in unison.

  
They couldn't believe that of all the movies Amanda could have picked, she chose a rom-com. Barbara asked what the title was, and no one was ready for Amanda's answer.

  
“ _Crazy, Stupid, Love_ ,” Amanda said sheepishly.

  
There was a collective wave of “oohs” and “ahhs” from the girls. Amanda waved them off and told them to just sit back and watch. The girls got a kick out of the movie, especially Barbara who whistled at Ryan Gosling's abs. In the latter part of the movie, Diana had begun to see some subtext as to why Amanda chose it. She turned to Amanda, who was laughing along with Akko at one of the scenes.

  
_Playing the subtle card, I see_ , Diana thought.

  
She looked over at Hannah, who was surprisingly quiet given that the movie had the others in stitches. Diana frowned at that and decided to sit back and see what was going to happen next.

  
The movie ended with a light note, and the girls decided to hit sheets. Constanze moved up to Jasminka's bunk to lend Lotte and Sucy her bed, but Sucy refused and decided to sleep on the mats on the floor. Barbara wanted to sleep on the floor as well, for some reason. Akko had Diana take her place in Amanda's bed with Hannah, but Diana wanted Akko by her side. Hannah laughingly gave way to the couple and ended up sleeping beside Lotte.

  
It was half-past midnight when Amanda stealthily got up from the mats and climbed up to the roof. Hannah, having been aware of Amanda's habit, carefully got up from bed and sat on the windowsill. She heard Amanda tuning the conjured guitar and lightly strumming its strings. In a beat, Amanda began to sing.

  
_City of stars_

  
_Are you shining just for me?_

  
_City of stars_

  
_There's so much that I can't see_

  
_Who knows?_

  
_I felt it from the first embrace I shared with you_

  
_That now our dreams_

  
_They've finally come true_

  
Hannah recognized the song. It wasn't from the movie they watched, it was from a musical film she once heard of as of late— _La La Land_. Amanda sang wistfully, and Hannah listened with a smile.

 

_City of stars_

  
_Just one thing everybody wants_

  
_There in the bars_

  
_And through the smokescreen of the crowded restaurants_

  
_It's love_

  
_Yes, all we're looking for is love from someone else_

 

_A rush, a glance,_

  
_A touch, a dance…_

  
Amanda now shifted to strumming the strings in staccato.

_A look in somebody's eyes_

  
_To light up the skies_

  
_To open the world and send it reeling_

  
_A voice that says, I'll be here_

  
_And you'll be alright_

 

_I don't care if I know_

  
_Just where I will go_

  
_'Cause all that I need is this crazy feeling_

  
_A rat-tat-tat of my heart..._

  
There was a slight pause, as if Amanda was letting the last lyric drag before singing again. Then she strummed once more.

 

_Think I want it to stay_

  
She deftly plucked the strings akin to a pianist with his keys.

 

_City of stars_

  
_Are you shining just for me?_

  
_City of stars_

  
_You never shined so brightly_

  
Amanda let out a sigh and turned to the moon. Hannah went back to her place beside Lotte and drifted off. Amanda climbed in a few minutes after and slept as well. Unknown to the both of them, Hannah wasn't the only one listening to Amanda's performance that night.

  
\---

  
The next morning, there was an activity in potions class where the students had to sort themselves by pairs, and Amanda was instantly flocked by a handful of girls. Amanda looked over the small crowd and called out a name.

  
“England!”

  
The crowd hushed and all eyes were now on Hannah. She was just about to settle on partnering up with Barbara when she heard Amanda call her name. She looked over at Barbara, who nodded at Hannah in assurance. Amanda weaved her way through the crowd until she stood facing Hannah.

  
“Be my partner,” Amanda said.

  
Sucy nudged Lotte. “Funny, it sounds like a marriage proposal."

  
Amanda shrugged. “How about it, England?”

  
Hannah looked over at the crowd behind Amanda, unsure and scared at the same time.

  
“Hannah,” Amanda called.

  
“Y-yes?” Hannah said.

  
Amanda offered her hand and looked at her earnestly. “It’s gonna be fine.”

  
Hannah nodded, then she took Amanda's open hand. “Make sure you don't blow anything up, O'Neill,” she said.

  
Amanda let out a laugh in response. There was a good amount of hubbub after that and the professor hushed them down to commence the activity. Diana, who had been observing the scene, let out an amused huff and went to work. Akko nudged her elbow.

  
“Pretty cheesy, eh?” Akko asked with a smirk.

  
“Amanda shouldn’t be too complacent,” Diana said, smiling as well. “It’s just the beginning.”

  
\---

  
Hannah returned the newly-washed cauldrons to their respective shelves with her wand. The teams assigned for cleaning duty were the Blue and Green Teams. Once the last chore was done, Hannah told the others to go on ahead of her since she held the key to the classroom. Amanda was about to suggest that she stay and wait for Hannah when Constanze and Jasminka started shoving her out the door in the most subtle way they can manage.

  
“Alright, champ,” Constanze said through gritted teeth. “You’ve done enough showboating today. Hannah can do this on her own.”

  
Amanda started to protest. “But, I—"

  
“Start with something light and simple, right?” Jasminka added.

  
The Green Team left the room and Diana could only huff amusingly at them. Hannah took notice of this and asked Diana what was funny.

  
“Nothing, Hannah, dear,” Diana told her. “Nothing at all.”

  
\---

  
In the next several days, Amanda was always within Hannah's vicinity. As subtle as she was, the rest of her friends always caught on her efforts to prove herself to Hannah. It may have made Amanda look pathetic, but they have to admit that it was commendable of her to come to such lengths.

  
“She wasn't like this with the other girls,” Sucy said one time. “Looking at her now, it's crazy.”

  
“It's stupid,” Constanze grumbled.

  
“It’s love,” Jasminka quipped.

  
“I’m now having a bad feeling about telling Amanda that she had to prove herself to Hannah,” Constanze said. “There must have been some other way.”

  
“Nah, this is actually great,” Sucy snickered. “Keeps me entertained, if you ask me. This whole thing with Amanda and Hannah is ten times better than watching Diana and Akko back when they're still tip-toeing around each other—no offense, Diana.”

  
Diana smiled. “None taken, Sucy.”

  
\---

  
A local fair in Blytonbury fell on a day-off, and the three teams set out to join in on the festivities. The town was more crowded than usual, so Akko told the rest of the girls to just meet up at the plaza once they're done with what they were set to do for the day. Diana and Akko were the first ones to separate from the group, followed by Constanze who headed to a hardware store to snag discounted items. Jasminka followed suit and had Barbara go with her to the baker's supply store, while Sucy practically dragged Lotte to a traveling apothecary. As each of them split from the group, they sent each other telepathic messages, implying that “the game has been set”.

  
Both Amanda and Hannah were unaware of the impromptu plan since they were too self-conscious of having been left with each other once again. To fend off the jitters, Amanda invited Hannah for a stroll. There weren't any words shared between them as they walked around—Amanda couldn’t think of a good topic, while Hannah was too flustered and nervous to even speak. Amanda then caught sight of the toy shop she had bought her drone from. She grabbed Hannah by the hand and they both ran to the shop.

  
“Is there another drone on sale?” Hannah asked, barely recovering from the unprecedented hand-holding.

  
“I remembered something I needed to buy here,” Amanda said as they walked in. “You can look around while you wait.”

  
Hannah checked on the bear she saw last time and dreaded once more on not being able to buy it. She walked over to the next to aisles without noticing Amanda heading towards the bear. Amanda grinned and carefully brought the bear to the counter, telling the shopkeeper to lower his voice as they made the transaction. Once the bear was paid for, Amanda called Hannah, who was perusing some board games further into the shop.

  
“I got what I needed, you have anything to buy?” Amanda called out.

  
“Nothing in particular,” Hannah said as she joined Amanda at the counter. “So what did you—oh.”

  
Resting in Amanda's hands was the bear. She then saw Amanda and the shopkeeper smiling at her.

  
“You had your eye on this one for a while now, eh?” Amanda said, handing the bear over. “Here, for you.”

  
Hannah got hold of the bear and was about to tell Amanda that it wasn't necessary when the redhead insisted that she keep it.

  
“Think of it as a really early Christmas gift,” Amanda said with a wink.

  
“Amanda, I appreciate this, really, I do,” Hannah countered. “But wouldn't this be too much for your allowance?”

  
“I have a habit of saving up, just so know.” Amanda slid her hands in her pockets to steady herself. “Besides, it's nice seeing your face light up, and I figured the bear would do the trick.”

  
The shopkeeper excused himself and left the counter. Hannah brought the bear closer to her and smiled at Amanda. To Amanda, it was probably one of the brightest smiles she's ever seen.

  
Amanda let out a grin of her own in response. The moment was interrupted by knocks and hoots from outside, turning out to be from their friends who had peeked in and realized what was going on. Amanda set herself in a distance from Hannah as a knee-jerk reaction, making the bear in Hannah's arms more visible. This elicited excited shrieks from Barbara and Lotte, while Constanze raised a thumb with a straight face. Amanda tried to regain control of the situation, but the teasing from their friends crushed her efforts. They all met up with Akko and Diana back at the plaza where they watched a live band. Akko made fuss about the bear, much to Amanda's chagrin and Hannah's embarrassment.

  
\---

  
“I told you it's stupid,” Constanze said.

  
“Love makes people do stupid things,” Barbara argued.

  
“Yeah, that's why we have stalkers,” Sucy said with a snicker.

  
“Shut up, Sucy,” Barbara growled.

  
Barbara went over to the Red Team's room to borrow some books, and seeing that Constanze and Jasminka were there, she stayed a bit to talk about what had been happening with Amanda and Hannah as of late. While the topic was primarily something to jest about, there were a few matters at hand that needed to be discussed seriously.  
According to Barbara, the rumor has taken another turn. On the day Hannah confessed to Amanda, someone had seen them flying out of Luna Nova's perimeter. Some had put two and two together from that sighting, and it has been assumed that Hannah was caught by Amanda's trap, that Amanda had used another trick from her book to lure Hannah in.

  
While it seemed to be an attack on Amanda, it wasn't the case. Barbara added that it was more of an assumption made by overly-complacent people. The rumor-mongers have an idea as to how Amanda worked when it comes to toying with other girls, and they thought that it wouldn't be long until Amanda tires of Hannah and seeks another girl—which, they hoped, would be one of them. Amanda's recent actions involving Hannah, especially the one where they partnered up, further reinforced the assumption that Amanda was only doing her thing and that they had nothing to worry about.

  
“The audacity…” Constanze snarled.

  
“ _Anak ng_ —this is crazy,” Sucy commented. “These girls are worse than the chatty neighbors back in my hometown.”

  
\---

  
At the Blue Team's quarters, Hannah turned to the bear sitting at her desk. She had half a mind to sleep with it, but Hannah figured it was too soon. She tucked herself to bed and drifted off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, so I broke the chain of old movies in this chapter.


	16. Throw Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Hannah is very much flattered by Amanda's recent actions, she was still in doubt over them.

Later during the late afternoon, Hannah once again heard a knock against the window of their room. She wasn't wrong with her assumptions that Amanda's drone was outside, but what she didn’t expect was Amanda sitting at the balcony.

  
“Amanda! How did you get there?” Hannah blurted out.

  
“We are in a school for witches, I think levitation spells would be the ones to blame here,” Amanda said. “By the way, what’s your opinion on animated films?”

  
Hannah crossed her arms. “Are you inviting me for another movie night?”

  
Amanda chuckled. “What else does it look like? Are you up for it?”

  
“Depends on what we're going to watch.”

  
“Well, I don't want to spoil you, so you'll have to see it for yourself in our room later.”

  
“I’ll take up on your invitation, but we watch it here in our room.”

  
Amanda almost fell over the balcony. _Oh gosh_. “Wouldn't it be a bother for your teammates?”

  
“Diana and Barbara agreed to a study session with Akko's team, and it’ll most likely end up being an overnight affair. I'll tell them ahead of time about the movie night.”

  
“You seem like you're really set on doing this.”

  
Hannah pouted. “It’s not what you think, O'Neill. Let me return your hospitality for once.”

  
“Alright then, I'll go tell Cons and Jasna as well.”

  
Amanda took off with her drone, leaving Hannah at the balcony. Hannah mulled over Amanda's invitation. She, too, had noticed Amanda's sudden shift in behavior, and though her teammates may not tell her anything, she was also aware that Amanda had been given some sort of a challenge to prove herself to her. The invitation was surely another attempt from Amanda, and suddenly she felt unsure about having the redhead over later. Hannah shook her head to ward off the jitters.

  
_Unsure feelings be damned_ , she thought.

  
\---

  
Amanda relayed the news to her teammates, and they were taken aback after hearing about Hannah's conditions.

  
“So this time, she wants to have the movie night at their room?” Constanze asked.

  
Amanda nodded at that. Constanze threw her a pillow, much to her surprise.

  
“Then why do you act like you're trying to ask permission?” Constanze said with a laugh.

  
“I have to tell you guys, at least,” Amanda told her.

  
“You weren't like that back when you're girl-hopping, what's the point of doing that now?”

  
“Constanze, please.”

  
Constanze waved a hand as she snickered. “Look I'm only kidding, _fraulein_. What are you going to watch, by the way?”

  
“One of them Disney classics,” Amanda said.

  
“Eh? You gonna watch _Bambi_ or something?”

  
Amanda frowned. “No. You'll know it after the movie night.”

  
\---

  
“You’re having Amanda over tonight? Like, just the two of you?” Barbara asked.

  
Hannah told her teammates about the movie night, and while they were somewhat amused at the news, they also had their concerns on the matter.

  
“And it was you who suggested that you watch the movie here…in our quarters,” Diana added.

  
Hannah nodded at both of them and explained that she has her reasons for doing so. She told them that she was aware of Amanda's intentions, and that she wanted to talk thoroughly with the redhead about it. Both girls understood Hannah's purpose and surmised that it may be a good opportunity for them to really settle things out.

  
“I do have one request, Hannah,” Diana said.

  
“What is it, Diana?” Hannah obliged.

  
Diana paused for a moment, albeit in a seemingly theatrical manner, then she let out a huff and looked straight into Hannah's eyes.

  
“Don’t forget to use protection.”

  
An excited shriek from Barbara, followed by hoots and excessive laughter were heard throughout the corridor where the Blue Team's room was situated. It took the passing students and staff by surprise.

  
\---

  
Diana and Barbara made their leave and turned to their red-faced teammate.

  
“We’ll be off now, Hannah,” Diana said, her eyes twinkling with amusement.

  
“Keep the door locked and the windows closed tight,” Barbara said with a wink. “Wouldn’t want to have any interruptions, would you?”

  
Hannah facepalmed. “Just…be on your merry way.”

  
\---

  
“You got everything with you?” Constanze asked.

  
Amanda rummaged through her satchel. “Laptop, charger, the flash drive, the mini speakers, snacks…yep, all here.”

  
“You look nervous,” Jasminka said.

  
Amanda scoffed. “Me? Nervous? What for?”

  
Jasminka turned to Constanze. “Yep. She's nervous.”

  
Constanze nodded, while Amanda let out a groan at her teammates' teasing. Amanda shooed them off and made her way to the Blue Team's room. Halfway through, Amanda froze.

  
She was, indeed, nervous.

  
_What the fuck am I getting nervous for? I've watched a movie with Hannah in their room before, nothing funny happened._

  
The short moment with the washcloth reared its head in Amanda's mind.

  
_Alright, except that._

  
Amanda patted her cheeks and resumed walking. When she got to the door, she let out a huff and knocked just loud enough for Hannah to hear. The door opened in a bit and Hannah—her hair loose and wearing only her shirt— promptly invited her in. It was quite a sight for Amanda, and she couldn't decide on what her next step would be. Amanda was quiet for a moment and then she blinked as if she had regained her bearings.

  
“Yo,” she choked out. “I uh, I brought snacks.”

  
Amanda heard running water coming from the bathroom and figured Hannah was just about to take a shower—an explanation as to why Hannah was wearing only her shirt. Amanda distracted herself from unwelcome thoughts by setting up the laptop and speakers.

  
“I'll join you in a bit,” Hannah said as she walked to the bathroom. “I brewed some coffee in case you want some.”

  
“Uh, yeah…thanks,” Amanda said.

  
The laptop was on, the speakers were plugged in, and Amanda, known for her cocksure smile and confidence, sat nervously on the couch. She twiddled her thumbs as she waited for Hannah to finish her bath. Amanda conjured a guitar to fiddle with, grabbed two mugs of coffee from the machine, and a few minutes after, Hannah got out of the bathroom clad in her usual sleepwear.

  
“Sorry for making you wait,” Hannah told her as she patted her face with a small towel. “I tend to stay longer in the bath compared to my teammates.”

  
“No biggie, there's no need to rush.” Amanda opened the file. “File’s ready.”

  
Hannah joined Amanda at the couch. Amanda handed her one of the mugs.

  
“Cream and five sugars,” Amanda said. “I took note of that the last time I watched a movie with you here.”

  
“Thank you,” Hannah said in return. “So what are we watching tonight?”

  
Amanda leaned back. “ _Sleeping Beauty_ , 1959.”

  
“We’re back to old films, huh?”

  
“So it seems.”

  
The two made comments as the movie progressed. Amanda said something about how Disney tweaked the story since the source material was darker and not suitable for kids, while Hannah surmised that it was rather rude of the king to not invite Maleficent in the first place.

  
“I mean like, sure, Maleficent is a shady woman, but surely she had good intentions with the baby,” Hannah said. “Look at how she reacted, she could have brought something really good for the baby…only for the king to jinx it.”

  
Amanda laughed. “So you're on Maleficent's side, huh?”

  
“It’s not like that. I'm just saying that it's questionable how he invited everyone in the kingdom and left Maleficent out just because she’s a dark sorceress or something. It's like he’s profiling her.”

  
Amanda chuckled. “You gotta hold on to your horses, then. We haven't reached the crucial parts of the movie yet.”

  
When the movie ended, Hannah grew more opinionated, much to Amanda's amusement. Hannah ranted on about how unfair the circumstances were for Maleficent, and she then pointed out that Maleficent may have been a bit too much in getting back at at the king. Amanda got a kick out of it and went into a laughing fit.

  
“What’s so funny?” Hannah asked with a frown.

  
Amanda wiped a tear from her eye. “Nothing, it's just…you're getting way too chatty over an old children's movie.”

  
Hannah paused, her cheeks turning red. “Well, I…”

  
Silence prevailed between them after that. Amanda looked over the balcony and whistled random tunes. She then stood up and faced Hannah, offering a hand.

  
“I know I’m not worthy,” Amanda said, referencing her lines from the play. “But would you be so kind as to join me for a dance?”

 

Hannah laughed. “Amanda, what are you doing?”

 

“We drank coffee, I don’t think we'll be able to sleep up until fifteen minutes later. I figured we should get ourselves moving. Come on, dance with me.”

 

Hannah hesitated for a bit, then she shrugged and took Amanda's hand. Once they were in position, Amanda took the lead as she sang _Once Upon a Dream_. They waltzed around the room with Amanda now humming the song. Eventually, their waltz soon slowed down into mere sways. Hannah now had her arms hanging loosely around Amanda's neck, and Amanda's hands were now on Hannah's waist. Neither of them moved to break away from each other's hold.

 

“Tired?” Amanda asked, her voice reduced to a whisper.

 

Hannah shook her head. “You?”

 

Amanda shook her head as well. “Nuh-uh.”

 

Hannah decided to throw down right there and then. “Amanda, why are you doing this?”

  
“Doing what?”

  
Hannah rolled her eyes and sighed heavily. “How you manage to be so beautiful and so dumb at the same time is way beyond me,” she muttered.

  
“Eh? You were saying?”

  
“Amanda, what are you on about?”

  
“Hannah, you have to be specific, I can't read minds.”

  
“Ever since you…found out about my feelings for you, you've started acting strange.”

  
“Like what?”

  
“You know…partnering up with me back in potions class, rushing over to help me with after-class chores even if insisted that I can do it by myself, buying me that bear, and this movie night…what's it all about?”

  
Amanda shrugged. “Is it a bad thing?”

  
“Don’t answer me with a question, O'Neill.”

  
Amanda flinched a bit. Hannah was not one to settle for a vague answer, so she figured she had to spill everything. She looked straight into Hannah's eyes, her expression stern.

  
“You really wanna know?” she asked.

  
“Why else would I ask you?” Hannah retorted.

  
Amanda huffed. “Well then…it's because you're important to me.”

  
Hannah was taken aback. “What?”

  
“Damn, England. I said you're important to me.”

  
Hannah steeled herself. “You’re joking. Is this another one of your pick-up lines?”

  
“I'm not fooling around, Hannah. I may have realized it way too late, but it's true.”

  
“I find that hard to believe,” Hannah said, glaring at Amanda.

  
“What do you mean?”

  
“You’re not really one to commit, Amanda O’Neill. What else can explain your penchant for fooling around with one girl after another? What’s the point of loving you when you can’t even fully reciprocate it? When all you can give are half-hearted answers and empty promises?”

  
Amanda sighed. “Then what do you want me to do?”

  
“Give me a better explanation.”

  
Amanda searched the air for more words, then she looked back at Hannah, who was still glaring at her. Amanda let out a huff and braced herself for what she was about to say.

  
“Ever since our teams started hanging out together, I find myself enjoying your company,” Amanda began. “Whenever we bicker with each other or gang up on Akko, it feels like a good fit. There are times when you drive me crazy, England, and even if it frustrates me, it doesn't deter me from hanging out with you. Along the way, I realized that I like having you around, even if we don’t agree with each other all the time.”

  
“When you suddenly stopped talking to me after the play, I felt lost and confused. It’s like, a chunk of me was taken and I want it back. When you kissed me at the play and never told me the reason why, I was like a madman thinking about it for days. As much as I wanted to ask you, I always hold myself back because I’m afraid you’d shy away even further. It was only when our friends told me about your situation did I find out the reasons you’ve been distraught...and I’m angry at myself for not realizing sooner. Now that I know about your feelings...somehow, I feel like that chunk is slowly making its way back to me.”

  
“During all that, I thought I was afraid of losing you as a friend, then I realized that it was something more than that.”

  
Amanda raised her hand from Hannah’s waist and gently caressed Hannah’s cheek. “I may be unsure about a whole lot of other things in my life, but here’s a couple of things I’m certain of—you're really, really important to me. More than anything. And you're the one that’s gonna stick for a long, long time.”

  
Hannah was speechless. Amanda was starting to worry that she might have messed up or something, since Hannah was unreadable at the moment.

  
Then a tear fell, followed by another until a thin stream flowed from Hannah's eyes. Amanda began to grow frantic at the sight of Hannah's tears.

  
“Hannah, hey, what's wrong?” Amanda asked her tone laced with worry.

  
Hannah let out a sob. “You didn't have to do all that, you know.”

  
“But I had to. You had your doubts—”

  
“Which I shouldn't have had in the first place.” Hannah wiped her tears with the back of her hand. “But you were just so fickle that I can't help but think that you’re only going to hurt me now that you're aware of my feelings for you.”

  
“And I apologize for that. Truly.” Amanda smiled. “You gotta stop crying now, Hannah. It’s not really a good look on you.”

  
Hannah laughed amidst the tears, which Amanda rubbed away with her thumb. She then pulled Hannah closer and embraced her.

  
“Have I erased your doubts, Miss England?” Amanda asked.

  
Hannah held tighter on to Amanda's shirt. “I guess you did.”

  
“Funny, when I hug you it feels right.”

  
Hannah scoffed. “Stop.”

  
“No kidding! It really does. It's warm and toasty, reminds me of home.”

  
“Amanda, please. You're making me blush.”

  
“Then it means it's working.”

  
“Really now.”

  
“Heh, and to think you once told me you'd never dream of falling in love with me.”

  
“I said that to throw you off, you don't know how hard it was for me to keep it all in knowing you'd most likely take advantage of me if you found out.”

  
“But some of it leaked, you know. It got me confused for a while, and because I'm a dumb bitch, I didn't get the hint right away.”

  
“Yeah, you can be really dumb sometimes.”

  
Amanda winced. “Ouch.”

  
Hannah giggled. “You have to work on that.”

  
“What do you say we go to sleep now?” Amanda asked. “I’ll take the couch—”

  
“Wait—”

  
Amanda raised an eyebrow. “What, you want me to sleep with you—ah, shit, that came out wrong.”

  
Hannah laughed at that. Amanda took a moment to admire Hannah and how she laughed, with her bright, smiling eyes and noticeable fangs. Hannah noticed that Amanda was staring at her and halted her laughing.

  
“What?” Amanda asked.

  
“What?” Hannah echoed.

  
“So that’s it. This is how we’re going to talk to each other from now on?”

  
“What do you want to talk about?”

  
“Anything…just so I can hear your voice.”

  
Hannah scoffed. “Flattery won't get you anywhere.”

  
“Except right beside you,” Amanda said with a wink.

  
Hannah laughed heartily and gave Amanda a heavy slap on her shoulder. The two talked the rest of the night and ended up sleeping on the couch.

  
\---

  
“Before I unlock the door, you all have to promise me that whatever you see in this room, you will not scream or make animal noises at it like idiots,” Diana said. “I’ll count to three.”

  
But before Diana even started counting, the door opened and they were greeted by the sight of Hannah in her disheveled sleepwear.

  
“I heard voices outside,” Hannah said with a yawn. “What is everyone doing here?”

  
None of the girls spoke, and instead, they all stepped into the room and looked around. They found Amanda still asleep on the couch. Barbara proceeded to check on Hannah's bed. She rejoined her friends not long after.

  
“Sheets are clean, no funny smells either,” Barbara told them.

  
The girls groaned at that and started muttering among themselves as if they lost big time.

  
“Disappointing,” Sucy said. “Now I owe Constanze five pounds.”

  
“Pay up, Manvabaran,” Constanze told her.

  
The noise woke Amanda up and she, too, was perplexed at seeing all her friends in the room.

  
“What’s with whole brigade?” Amanda asked. “Did something happen?”

  
“We should be the ones asking you that,” Akko told her. “You two didn't…you know…get to third base?”

  
Both Amanda and Hannah flushed red at Akko's question.

  
“No, we didn't,” Amanda snapped. “Why would we?”

  
Akko was incredulous. “What? You had the room all to yourselves!”

  
“Look, Akko, now's not the time for that sort of thing. We only just spilled the beans about our feelings last night—ah, shit.”

  
The girls let out a gasp. Lotte and Barbara squealed while Sucy let out a fiendish cackle. Akko stared at Amanda and Hannah in disbelief and Diana tried her best to hide her smile behind her hand. Constanze and Jasminka turned to each other and shrugged. Meanwhile, Hannah and Amanda awkwardly stayed in their places and wished they had been somewhere else. Hannah then proceeded to clean up the empty coffee mugs that were left untouched last night. Barbara hastily ran after Hannah to the sink while Akko and the rest huddled over at the couch. They began teasing Amanda about last night, much to the redhead's irk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I guess things are finally settled now.


	17. Loose Ends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There was still a bit of stuff to deal with.

“It’s far from over yet,” Constanze mused.

  
“Honestly, at this point, I don't give a damn about the rumors anymore,” Barbara said.

  
The three teams were all gathered at the common room. They relayed everything they knew about the situation to both Amanda and Hannah. Both girls were silent as they listened, and when all was said and done, Hannah shifted in her seat and began to speak.

  
“It would be best if we leave these rumors be,” Hannah said. “Let them die on their own. We all know the truth, and if someone asks, then we just say what is needed to be said.”

  
“It’s nice how you're taking a pacifist approach on this, considering that it brought you under a great deal of duress,” Diana said.

  
“I don't want to cause any more trouble,” Hannah said. “We’ve all had enough of it.”

  
\---

  
The bell tolled, signaling the start of classes. The girls made their way to the lecture hall, their eyes focused on the path ahead.

Hannah stayed close to her team to avoid whispers from the other students. Amanda respected Hannah's decision to maintain a distance, but she disdained the fact that Hannah had to do that just to avoid something so insignificant. There was a palpable tension in the air, and everyone knew it was only a matter of time until something sparks up.

  
It didn't take long. As soon as classes were over, a good number of girls flocked over to Amanda like usual. As much as Amanda wanted to leave the small crowd, the girls seemed to be bent on keeping her in her place, asking her about stuff that weren't worth her time. Hannah, knowing that she was powerless against them, decided to place her trust in Amanda and began to back away. Amanda caught sight of Hannah starting to leave the room, and she mustered enough strength to weave her way through the crowd. She then ran over to Hannah and grabbed her hand, much to the latter's surprise.

  
“Run with me,” Amanda said.

  
“Run where?” Hannah asked.

  
“Anywhere, just get us outta here.”

  
“Amanda, we can see each other later. You have to attend to those girls.”

  
“Hannah, I—”

  
Hannah gently placed a hand on Amanda’s cheek. “I’m putting all my trust in you, Amanda. Go. I’ll be waiting for you at the balcony.”

  
Amanda didn’t let her go. “No.”

  
“Amanda, it’s okay.”

  
“No. We drop everything, leave it all to the wind. Let's show them the truth. Let's shut them up for good. Run with me.”

  
“Amanda, I—”

  
Amanda didn't say anything else and rushed out the door while still holding on to Hannah's hand. Hannah was compelled to run, and soon enough she abandoned her reservations and held Amanda’s hand even tighter. They zipped past other students, some of their professors, and a good number of the staff. They ran through the corridors, ignoring everything around them. They reached the courtyard and stopped smack dab in the middle of it. Onlookers began to build up in the sidelines, and some were peeking from the windows. Both girls were breathless from the run, and when they caught their breath, Amanda began laughing.

  
“Amanda, you practically just worsened the situation,” Hannah chided. “Seeing us running hand in hand would make them talk more, and it'll be hard for the both of us.”

  
“Then let ‘em talk! Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn,” Amanda said gleefully. “They’ll get tired of it in no time. They'll know that I'm not fooling around anymore. They'll see that I'm sticking to one girl for the rest of my days.”

  
“For the rest of your days?”

  
“Has a nice ring to it, doesn't it? Hannah England, once we're done with all this, I want you to marry me.”

  
There was a wave of “oohs” and astonished gasps coming from the crowd around them. Hannah mustered what's left of her will to keep the situation under control.

  
“Amanda, we're barely of age to talk about that. How can you be so certain about everything?”

  
“Because I'll make sure that I’m gonna do my goddamn best to keep you laughing and smiling everyday until you say ‘yes’.” She tugged Hannah closer. “You mark my words, pigeon, I'm never letting you go.”

  
Hannah held back her tears with a laugh. “Amanda, you are definitely mental.”

  
“Hey American!” It was Constanze.

  
Amanda and Hannah looked over to where Constanze hollered from and saw her standing alongside the rest of their friends just close by.

  
“You do what you gotta do, Texan,” Constanze called out. “Damn it all, just like you always say.”

  
“You can do it!” Akko cheered.

  
Amanda chuckled at that and then turned back to Hannah. She traced her finger down Hannah's face until it reached her chin.

  
“Kiss me, once,” Amanda said, her voice low enough for only Hannah to hear.

  
Hannah didn't think twice in doing so. Amanda deepened the kiss, much to Hannah's surprise. They eventually had to come up for air, and that was when they only get to hear the cheers that had erupted from the everyone who witnessed the kiss. To everyone's surprise, Constanze pulled out her customized gun, slid her wand in its barrel and began firing in the air. Akko followed suit by conjuring firecrackers and writing letters in the air—however, Diana had to erase the letters upon realizing that they were forming a rather vulgar message. It was a comical sight, one that Amanda and Hannah almost keeled over as they laughed.

  
Meanwhile, Holbrooke watched the scene at the courtyard unfold with a content smile on her face. Finneran had her qualms about the spectacle, but on seeing the happy look on the headmistress' face, she merely shrugged and gave the issue a slack. Chariot let out a chuckle at the scene before them, having been reminded of her younger days with Croix.

  
“The academy is livelier than ever, don't you think?” Holbrooke asked.

"I was starting to get worried about the rumors and wanted to deal with the whole thing myself," Finneran said. "It is rather fortunate that it didn't come to that."

"It seems like these girls can definitely hold their ground well," Holbrooke said.

  
Chariot and Finneran agreed to that with a nod.

  
The loose ends have been dealt with in the next several days. The rumors died down as Hannah had predicted, and all was well in the academy once more. While Amanda still had a flock of girls fawning over her, she would always return to Hannah. Hannah no longer had to worry about whispers and glares behind her back, and she had made peace with those who had done so.

  
Akko and Diana were at the balcony of Blue Team's room one day. Akko had just finished her refresher lessons with Diana and took a break.

  
“It's all good now, isn't it?” Akko spoke.

  
Diana nodded. “Indeed it is. There's nothing to worry about anymore.”

  
“It kept us all on the edge. It felt like we're in a movie.” Akko placed her arm around Diana's shoulder. “I’m glad things have patched up.”

  
Diana leaned on Akko. “So am I, Akko.”

  
\---

  
“It’s crazy,” Amanda said.

  
They were at the open field one late afternoon. Amanda took Hannah for a broom ride within the academy's perimeter and then landed at the open field to rest.

  
“What’s crazy?” Hannah asked.

  
“Everything that's happened so far. If I had known about your feelings sooner, maybe things would have turned out better.”

  
Hannah brushed aside Amanda’s hair from her face. “You're still worrying yourself about that?”

  
“Sometimes.”

  
Hannah smiled. “What’s the point of fretting about the past? Everything that's happened led us to this moment, and I couldn't be more thankful for it.”

  
Amanda shrugged. “Still, it was crazy. Crazier than what we did at the retreat.”

  
Hannah laughed. “True, true.”

  
They stared lovingly at each other for a moment, taking in every detail—their eyes, their smiles, the faint freckles on Amanda's face, the long eyelashes that made Hannah's eyes look more alluring with every blink.

Amanda let out a sigh and smirked.  
“Who knew the snobby rich girl I couldn’t stand seeing would end up running her gentle hands through my hair?”

  
“Who knew the rowdy redhead I absolutely abhorred would one day lie down on my lap at the open field of Luna Nova like a needy puppy?” Hannah countered.

  
Hannah bent down to plant a kiss on Amanda's forehead. Amanda pouted.

  
“You can do better than that, you know,” she told Hannah.

  
“I know,” Hannah said smugly. “I just want to tease you.”

  
Amanda chuckled. “Say, Hannah, tonight...”

  
“Hm?”

  
“Wanna watch a movie with me?”

  
Hannah smiled warmly at Amanda.

  
“Of course.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's it. I don't know if I'd be able to write another lengthy LWA fic, I guess when an idea pops up I'll start writing oneshots.
> 
> Thanks for sticking with me and my experimental fic. I'll be posting again some other time, but for now, I'll have to take a break from the Internet and perhaps finally read the books I bought from last year.

**Author's Note:**

> So, here's the sequel! Heh.
> 
> It turns out that I'm way more invested in the Hamanda ship compared to Diakko (thanks, Chamber of Time), hence I've spewed out a more lengthy fic than "At A Witches' Retreat". This kinda overlaps with the epilogue from the aforementioned fic, so I think it might be best if you take time to at least skim through it for context.
> 
> Anyways, I'd like to say that this fic is more of an experimental thingy for me since I've never written something cohesive that's more than six chapters. Any feedback is highly appreciated! I'd very much like to know your thoughts on the fic.


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